A practice for releasing 2023
Goodbye 2023!
As the new year greets us, it’s easy to daydream about all of the things that we want to accomplish in the coming year. But how often have you set goals for yourself, only to realize a few weeks or months later, that those goals simply aren’t going to happen? There are a lot of voices out there that can give you good reasons for why this happens: maybe the goals aren’t realistic enough, you didn’t have enough reason to pursue them, etc. I want to offer one piece of advice, though, that doesn’t often get mentioned. Sometimes we set goals for the new year without considering and processing the year that has just passed. When we are able to process the past year, we are granted freedom, and that freedom allows to to create the sort of reality that we want for ourselves with a little more ease.
There’s a classic story I’ve heard time and time again that illustrates this idea. In India, there is a very simple way that people go about catching monkeys. All you have to do to catch a monkey is place some nuts inside a small jar. The monkey will reach their hand into the jar to get the nuts, but once their hand is clasped around the special treat, it can no longer fit through the mouth of the jar. They’re stuck. All the monkey actually has to do to be free is let go of the nuts, so that they can remove their hand from the jar. They have to let go to be free. And with that freedom they could run, play, eat — do whatever their hearts desire. But most of the time, they stay stuck, clutching onto the very thing that is keeping them trapped. The experiences of a past year can sometimes capture us, much like this monkey trap. And all we need to do is let go of it, then we can be free.
But letting go of something isn’t always so easy (just ask the captured monkeys!) This stands true for letting go of a year that has gone by. Maybe your 2023 was a banner year. Or maybe it was a total dumpster fire. Either way, there are likely stories from 2023 that you are attached to in some way or another. We tend to cling to both the bad and good things in our lives, and we let those narratives dictate the incoming year— even if we don’t intend for them to. Letting go of anything is really a process. It’s naive to think that just because we say “well that year is over,” that we’re really done clinging to it. This is where a simple practice of processing can help us to let go of the past year. Once you can let go of the past year, you have a blank slate. And it’s much easier to create the future you hope for with a blank slate.
Read on for a simple practice that you can use to help process the past year before setting your New Year’s intentions.
The Practice
Time: ~ 1 hour, but it depends on what you need.
Materials Needed: Quiet, uninterrupted space, optional music, journal and pen.
Step 1: Move your body to get your energy moving. You can turn on a song that gets you moving and dance for a few minutes, or take a short walk around the block. Then settle down and connect with your breath. Take 5 slow, mindful breaths in and out.
Step 2: Reflect or journal on the past year. This can be overwhelming, so I suggest breaking it down into one of two ways.
Way #1: Consider your past year month-to-month, noting the “high” and “low” of that month. For example, “In January 2023 I received a promotion at work. I also found out that my Grandfather has dementia, and had to deal with that.”
Way #2: Consider your past year along these four areas of wellbeing: body, mind, spirit, home (“home” being things related to your physical home, your relationships, or the things that make you feel at home). Again, jot down a “high” and “low” for each area. If there is more than one, record that as well. For example, “For Body: I kept a regular yoga practice throughout the year (high), but I struggled with eczema and inflammation on my hands (low).”
Step 3: Re-read each high and low. Sit with the feelings that arise as you move through the year. What is the emotion attached to that experience? How does that feel in your body? (If it is truly neutral, that’s great. See how that feels as well). As you notice the emotion and the physical sensation connected to it, don’t try to do anything. Just notice it. Sit with it. If it makes you cry, let yourself cry. If it makes you laugh, let yourself laugh. Continue to sit with that feeling until it passes. Once it passes, write down or say aloud “thank you.”
Step 4: Write down a list of things that you are thankful for, from the past year or the present moment. Write as long as you need to. Read through each of these items and say “thank you” aloud. For example, “thank you for this past year. Thank you for my loving husband. Thank you for time spent near the ocean. Thank you for the earth beneath my feet…”
Step 5: Move your body (again!) This can take as much or as little time as you need it to. Put on a song and dance, or go for a walk. Let all of those leftover feelings move through your body.
(optional) Step 6: Notice the space in your body and mind that you’ve just created. Maybe you’d like to keep that space empty. Maybe there is something calling you to fill it in with. If you suddenly feel inspired (sometimes this happens!) write down what actions you are inspired to move toward.
Moving Forward
Once you complete this practice, you’re all set to make your New Year’s intentions, or to just move forward with your year and see what comes your way. May your 2024 be filled with love and light.
Would you be interested in a post about setting intentions? Send me a message through email, Facebook, or Instagram to let me know!
May all beings everywhere be happy and free,
Ginny Kay
