Setting Intentions For The New Year

In this guided meditation, explore the connection to meditation and setting goals for the new year. Invite the journey ahead with self compassion and flexibility. Learn how meditating can strengthen your focus to help you apply your time and attention in ways that align with your goals.

Transcript

During these last few days of December,

Many people reflect on what's happened in the past year and think of goals for the future.

If there's anything that 2020 has taught us,

Its life can have unexpected twists and turns.

With the new year beginning,

Many of us set,

Or at least think of resolutions,

Hopes of how we'll be or how we can improve.

Things we want to accomplish.

A resolution by definition is a firm decision to do or not to do something.

They often come from a place of judgment,

Something we don't like,

That we want to change.

Without a connection to the why,

Our commitment fades.

Our patterns are too strong to break from.

And our sense of self then begins to support the idea that we can't achieve the change.

This year,

I'm inviting you to reframe those resolutions as intentions.

An intention is an aim or plan.

It's a nuanced difference,

But broader and more forgiving.

If there's anything we need as we head into this new year,

It is some grace,

Some compassion for ourselves and others,

An appreciation for our resilience and how no matter what the future holds,

We can greet it with compassion and flexibility.

Many styles of meditation are attention training.

When we lose focus during meditation,

We have a choice point to notice we were distracted and then to bring our attention back.

With practice,

The skill comes into our everyday life.

When we're living mindfully,

We can notice when we become distracted from our intentions.

We have the choice point to redirect our focus,

Our time and attention again and again,

Onto what's really important.

Many of the same feelings that come up in meditation come up in life.

Boredom,

Judgment,

Discomfort.

It can be boring to sit during meditation.

We're used to doing and being stimulated all the time.

Boredom can come with making changes in our life too.

Eating decadent is way more fun and stimulating than eating healthy all the time.

We can lose our steam with our goals.

The intention and connection to the why is what helps us to commit and the ability to work through the boredom to the success.

Judgment of ourselves can arise during meditation.

Our self-talk can be,

I'm not doing this right.

This isn't working.

I'm terrible at this.

We do the same things with our goals.

We can question if it's worth it,

If we're capable or worthy of this life we want.

The positive results of both are rarely seen quickly.

But with practice and commitment,

They do come.

Meditating can be uncomfortable.

How can doing nothing be so hard?

I'm just going to give up.

Being with uncomfortable feelings can be hard.

Meditation helps create that space to be with the uncomfortable feelings,

Knowing that they're not permanent.

With our goals,

If we can work through and be with those hard times,

Those challenges won't be permanent either.

We'll get through stronger on the other side.

So as we meditate today,

Create the space to get to know yourself a bit deeper.

Observe the challenges as they arise.

The boredom,

The judgment,

The discomfort.

Know they're normal.

Know that this time is training for the outside world.

The why is a deeper,

Richer life where you are aware of your intentions and can direct your time and attention to best support them.

I invite you to come into a comfortable position,

Sitting in a chair or on a cushion or rolled up blanket on the floor.

As you prepare to meditate,

Remember you will have thoughts and when you shut your eyes,

They can become more noticeable.

When your mind wanders,

Notice and refocus.

Be kind to yourself.

Let go of expectations and don't try too hard.

You can't do it wrong.

There's nothing to do and no particular experience that you should try to have.

Give yourself a moment to settle here.

If at any point you need to shift or move,

Feel free.

Just do so mindfully.

We'll be meditating for about 10 minutes.

I'll keep track of the time.

You can rest your hands in your lap or on your knees.

And when you're ready,

You can close or cap your eyes,

Which means just gazing softly downward.

Begin to listen to the sounds around you.

Those that are near and those often the distance.

Sometimes at this stage,

Our minds can feel like a shaken snow globe with everything swirling around.

Sit with that feeling for a moment without judgment.

Although we are sitting in the present,

It can take a moment for our minds and energy to settle here as well.

Begin by taking three long,

Slow,

Deep breaths,

Inhaling and exhaling through your nose and feeling your lower belly fill with each breath.

This signals to your nervous system that it's time to relax after your third breath.

Allow your breathing to return to its natural rhythm and depth.

Take a moment to scan your body for any areas that may be holding on to tension or any other sensations that come to your attention,

Like temperature,

Tingling,

Heaviness or lightness.

Begin at the top of your head,

Traveling through your face and your neck and throat down through your front torso,

Your arms,

Your back torso and your legs,

And then return the scan from your feet to your head.

Don't rush.

Become curious and observant of where your body is right here,

Right now.

If an area is holding on to tension,

Mindfully use the breath to try to soften it if you can.

If sensations arise,

Spend a moment observing them without judgment.

Does your attention change the sensation at all?

You can release your attention to the sensations and notice if your mind and body has settled at all.

The breath is a wonderful way to come into the present moment.

I invite you to choose a spot where you feel your breath the most.

Maybe your nostrils,

Your chest or your belly.

This could be the temperature of the breath as it enters and exits your nostrils,

The rise and fall of your chest or belly with each inhale and exhale.

You might slow down,

Speed up or become deeper or shallower.

There's no need to control it.

It could be natural.

If boredom,

Judgment or discomfort come up,

Welcome them as opportunities to strengthen your ability to work through them both during meditation and in life.

Notice the movement and the natural pauses between the inhale and the exhale.

If your attention drifts away,

Simply refocus.

The breath is a wonderful way to come into the present moment.

You can release your attention to the breath.

And before we close the meditation,

As you sit here in the stillness that you've created,

If you'd like,

You can place a hand on your heart and ask yourself silently,

What can I let go of?

You don't need to create an answer,

And one may not come.

But if something arises,

You can use that to help guide your intentions.

What can I let go of?

And now you can ask yourself,

What can I invite more of?

What can I invite more of?

There's a quote by Jon Kabat-Zinn that says,

The real meditation is how you live your life.

As we prepare to end the meditation,

Take a moment to set an intention for yourself.

For today,

For this week,

For this year ahead,

What will you focus your time and attention on?

What is something you want to experience more mindfully going forward?

You can begin bringing your awareness back into your space,

Noticing the weight of your body on the cedar cushion,

The sounds around you,

Stretching your muscles,

Or wiggling your toes.

And when you're ready,

You can first with your gaze downward,

Slowly open your eyes,

Carrying this peaceful feeling into the rest of your day.

Reviews

Very thoughtful

Thank you!!!!

Wow! What a perfect, gentle welcome to the New Year!