Dreaming The Future | A New Year Meditation

This is the first time that I'm sitting down on my meditation cushion in 2024 and just arriving into this space,

Arriving into a new year,

There is such a potent sense of potential,

Energy,

Vitality.

There's a sense of what do we have to lose?

What is stopping you from really going for it this year?

And that's such a beautiful energy,

This sense of possibility and wonder and awe.

Oh,

It is something that personally for me,

It is like a life force.

It feels so good to be tapped into that part of me that is open to dreaming,

That is open to envisioning that things can change,

That I can change.

And so I feel that energy right now as we enter into this new year.

And at the same time,

For me,

I notice almost every single year around or on January 2nd,

Which is what the date is right now,

I feel this sense of overwhelm.

There's this part of me that feels that because we're turning the page collectively,

For me there can also be this sense of overwhelm,

This sense of anticipation,

Feeling like I need to rush,

Feeling like I need to push.

The actual practical implications of going after your dreams,

There's the reality of the actions that you need to take to become that person,

To become that version of yourself.

And oftentimes the steps that are required are scary.

The steps that are required are outside of your comfort zone.

The steps that are required require you to really embrace the unknown.

And I feel that this year,

For me,

Is a year where I want to move beyond the fear.

It's a year where I want to take the path unknown,

In the physical,

And actually really go after it.

Because why not?

Our time here is so finite.

I just spent a week back home in Toronto visiting my family,

Visiting my partner's family,

Visiting old friends,

Because that's where I grew up.

And it's so beautiful when you get to have these really pure connections with people in your life.

But also there's a bitter sweetness to it,

Because there's a part of you that knows that all of this is temporary.

That all of these people in your life,

Including yourself,

Are one day going to die.

And our time here is just so limited.

It's so short.

And I think that we lose sight of that.

But for me,

During this past holiday,

Spending about a week back home with people that I don't see very often,

But they mean so much to me,

I really was aware that there was this inner sense of maybe a little bit of grief,

Maybe a little bit of sadness,

Maybe a little bit of longing,

Maybe a little bit of mystery,

Beauty,

Presence,

Gratitude,

So much gratitude.

And allowing myself to just be open and feeling all of that just made me realize that life is so short.

We know that on a on a subconscious level,

But in our day-to-day lives,

We tend to,

I think,

Kind of try to numb that reality out.

But I think death is really,

Truly a beautiful teacher and a reminder of what it means to live.

And I hope that this year you choose to live,

To really fully live and make the most of this time that we have here together.

So I thought that it might be nice to just arrive into this moment from wherever you've been,

However these last couple weeks,

This closing transition period between 2023 to 2024,

However that has been feeling for you,

Whether it's been a mix of emotions,

Grief,

Heaviness,

Longing,

Sadness,

Mixed in with this high bliss and gratitude and deep love and appreciation and presence for all of it,

However you're arriving here,

Know that it's okay.

Begin to close your eyes when you feel ready,

Making any movements that your body needs right now as we transition into our inner world,

Perhaps beginning to bring some gentle circles to your hips,

Rolling your spine,

Maybe rolling your shoulders in one direction and going into the other direction,

Noticing any cracks,

Any sounds,

Any tightness in your body and see if you can bring some breath,

Some spaciousness,

Maybe a little bit of gentle intuitive movement into wherever your body needs.

We won't be here too much longer.

Begin to slow it down,

Finding your way to stillness,

Taking a few rounds of deep long breaths,

Slow inhale through your nose,

Filling up your belly,

Filling up your chest,

Holding the air at the top for just a breath and opening your mouth,

Exhale,

Let it all go,

Feeling your body get heavier on your exhale and repeating that cycle on your own breath,

Deep inhales in,

Big slow exhales out,

Noticing how the breath feels in your body and allowing your body to get heavier in your seat with every exhale,

Feeling the weight of your sit bones against the earth and now letting go of your breath,

Letting your breath be natural,

Bringing your awareness to the base of your spine and following your spine up all the way to the crown of your head,

Making sure that you have a nice,

Strong,

Straight spine,

Gently tilting your chin towards your chest just a little bit so you feel an elongation along the back of your neck,

Shoulders,

Bring them up towards your ears and gently roll them back,

Let them be soft but open and now bringing your awareness to your heart space,

Allowing your heart to shine forward,

Feeling your heart open as you bring your breath into your heart space,

Let it go,

Bringing your awareness down to your belly,

Allowing your belly to be soft,

No clenching,

Let it go and now bringing your awareness down to your pelvic bowl,

Let it be soft,

Relaxing your arms down to your hands,

Relaxing your legs,

Taking a few moments here in stillness,

Observing what's alive within you without attaching to it,

Just watching any sensations,

Watching any feelings,

Just watching them,

Observing them as if you're just watching a movie screen,

No need to analyze or fix anything,

Just enjoy watching what flashes before your awareness and then eventually leaves.

There can be a sense of urgency as we begin a new year,

That feeling of urgency is actually really interesting because on the one hand time is finite,

We don't know when this life will end,

So yes we do need to make choices and actions right now that empower us and that align us to experience the fullness of this life before it ends and on the other hand you are an eternal being,

Your soul is timeless,

There is absolutely no rush,

There is nothing really to strive towards because growth and expansion and evolution is encoded in who you are,

So the more that you can let go of your attachment to a particular outcome,

The more that you can let go of controlling everything to make sure that you achieve your goals,

The more that you can let go of even maybe goals altogether,

You might experience a deeper sense of ease and flow and fall into the current of life where you trust that you're just being guided and that your real job here is just to experience as much joy and love,

Gratitude,

Connection,

Peace,

Freedom.

Notice what you're feeling right now and allow it to just be,

Bringing a small smile to the corners of your lips,

Beginning to deepen your inhales and your exhales and begin to bring to your mind one word that encapsulates the energy that you are calling in in 2024.

Let this one word come to you as your sankalpa,

Your intention for the coming year and this word may serve as a North Star,

A filter through which you can gauge whether you're really being in alignment with what you truly desire,

So perhaps your word might be peace or vitality or expansion,

Growth,

Love,

Connection,

Intimacy and begin to envision your year with this word as your guiding light.

See yourself embodying whatever this word is.

What does that look like in your mind's eye?

Bring a small smile to the corners of your lips if you've lost it,

Bring it back.

Know that this is already who you are,

It's already yours and if you ever feel lost during this year or if you ever feel that you're stuck,

Remember this word and let it guide you back into alignment.

Take a slow,

Long,

Deep inhale in,

Exhale let it go.

Begin to slowly wiggle your fingers and your toes,

Maybe bringing a gentle sway,

Noticing the sounds in your space and when you're ready,

Slowly,

Very slowly opening your eyes.

Thank you so much for joining me in this space,

In this energetic upgrade and meditation.

I really hope that you enjoyed it and I hope that you can take this energy with you and carry it with you for the rest of the year.

I'll see you again soon.

Bye.