New Year Vision

Hello and welcome to this new year meditation.

My name is Rachel and I'm glad to join you on this journey today.

To get started I invite you to find a comfortable position.

You can practice this meditation sitting or standing or lying down.

So play around with it and find a comfortable position that works for you.

And once you've made yourself comfortable the invitation is to close your eyes or take a soft gaze in front of you.

Now arriving here in this moment scanning the body just noticing.

Noticing without trying to change anything.

Noticing if there's tension.

Not resisting it.

Just noticing it's there.

Try not to get caught up in a story about why it's there,

What happened.

Just labeling it.

Oh there's tension.

And now see if you can soften the muscles there.

Scanning again.

Now relaxing or dropping your shoulders.

Letting them sink down into the ground.

Softening the belly.

Just letting it rest.

Loosening your jaw.

Releasing the tongue from the roof of the mouth.

Just letting it rest.

Bringing softness into the eyebrows.

The face muscles.

Now focusing your attention on any sounds in your environment.

You might be noticing the sound of my voice.

Notice if you can hear any sounds in your immediate environment.

Maybe you might hear cars driving by.

Maybe there's a fan or a furnace.

Maybe somebody's playing in the room beside you.

And then see if you can bring your attention just a little bit further.

Now focusing your attention on your smells.

Noticing if the air around you smells sweet or savory.

Maybe there's floral scent in the air.

Maybe you have essential oils in your surroundings.

Maybe it smells clean and crisp.

Noticing the air as you breathe.

Noticing the air as it flows in.

Noticing if it's warm or cool.

As you exhale,

Noticing if it's warm or if it's still a little bit cool.

And as you breathe,

Noticing if that breath is going shallow into the chest area or if it's going deeper into the belly.

Seeing if you can take that breath down into the pit of your stomach.

Lengthening that inhale.

Letting it all go with a long exhale.

Taking a few more breaths.

Deepening that breath down into the belly.

Letting the breath settle.

Relaxing and visualizing in your mind's eye that you are sitting in your favorite spot.

It's cozy there.

Maybe there's a fireplace burning.

Maybe it's outside.

Maybe there's a chair.

Visualizing wherever that place might be.

And there in front of you is a large white surface.

And this large white surface,

It can be a chalkboard,

A piece of paper,

A whiteboard,

A canvas.

Whatever might resonate a little bit better with you.

And this white surface represents the next year.

Bringing to mind images of what you want to see happen in the next year.

So we're going to take a few moments and flow through the different areas of your life,

Bringing to mind the images that you see.

And you can imagine yourself either writing it down on your board,

Pinning it if it's an image,

Maybe sticking it down.

Again,

Whatever aligns best with you.

So first,

Bringing to mind your home environment.

What does that look like in the next year for you?

Is there anything that you want to change in your home?

Maybe you'd like to move this year.

Maybe you'd like to buy a new house.

Whatever that looks like for you this year,

Bring it to mind and add that image,

Write those words.

You can paint it onto your white surface.

Now bringing to mind your health and your wellness.

Maybe your goal is to achieve more balance in your lifestyle.

Maybe your goal is to maintain your current goals or your current lifestyle.

Maybe there's some changes you'd like to see this year.

What does that look like for you?

What about your financial?

Are there any big purchases you'd like to save for this year?

Maybe the last year wasn't the best year for you financially.

Maybe this coming year sees abundance and prosperity for you.

Maybe you're budgeting in your future.

Maybe you see saving for a trip or traveling,

Buying a car,

Maybe buying a cottage,

A boat,

And taking that image and putting it there on your white board in front of you,

Your white surface.

And now shifting your attention to your career and your learning.

What kind of goals do you have this year when it comes to your workplace?

Checking in,

Does your work light you up?

Does it fill you up?

Does it stress you out?

Is there something you would like to learn this year?

Maybe it doesn't mean going to school,

Maybe it's taking on a course,

Picking up a book,

Watching a movie,

Or maybe it's just taking a break from school,

Picking up a book,

Watching a YouTube video.

Is there anything you'd like to learn this year?

And now shifting your attention into the fun category.

What ways would you like to have fun this year?

And who do you see there with you?

What about your friends?

Do you see yourself spending time with your friends,

Hanging out together,

Maybe meeting some new friends this year,

Expanding your social circle?

What about love and your relationships?

Do you see yourself taking time alone this year,

Investing in your time and your energy?

Do you see yourself in love,

Building a relationship,

Putting yourself out there,

Or maybe building on the relationship you have with somebody?

What kind of relational goals do you have for you and your partner?

And then your family,

What does the next year look like for you and your family this year?

And taking that image,

Placing it onto the board in front of you,

Or the white surface.

Next,

Looking at your community,

How do you see yourself in your community this year?

Does that look like volunteering,

Perhaps,

Being a part of a board or a committee in your community?

Maybe being a part of a local group?

If you're a part of a church,

Maybe you are going to be the person to organize something.

Maybe you're a part of a community garden.

What ways are you a part of your community this year?

And now bringing to mind your spiritual vision for this year.

If you're religious or spiritual,

Perhaps it's connecting with your higher power,

Spending time in nature,

Meditating,

Or maybe it's being around other people and going to church and worshipping with the people in your community.

So what image comes to mind when you think of your spiritual life this year?

And if there's anything we've missed,

Bringing that to mind,

Placing that image onto the white surface in front of you.

Maybe you have a few blank spots.

Is there anything we've missed or forgotten?

Take a moment and fill that in.

And now stepping back and taking a look at the white surface that you've created in front of you.

Isn't it beautiful?

Taking it all in.

And now we're going to notice in your body now,

How does that feel?

To imagine the year ahead of you and all of the wonderful things that you're going to do and accomplish this year.

Noticing if it feels joyful,

Exciting.

Maybe you feel full of love and warmth.

Maybe you feel anxious to get going.

Maybe you feel energized and ready to go.

Feel that feeling that you're feeling right now and hold on to it.

Take a moment to rest here in that moment,

Feeling that feeling.

Soak it all in.

And taking a hand,

You can bring it to your heart,

To your belly,

Your thighs,

Making contact and soaking in that feeling.

Taking one last look at the vision that you've created for the next year.

And now coming back into the present moment,

Bringing your attention back into your body,

Noticing where you make contact with the ground,

Scanning the body,

Noticing if there's still any tension there.

Coming back to the breath,

Noticing any sounds around you,

Visualizing the space where you are,

Visualizing the room where you are.

Maybe you're outside.

When you're ready,

Opening your eyes and taking it all in.

I encourage you to find a piece of paper,

A notebook and journal,

Or write down the vision and the images that you had for the next year.

Maybe create a vision board,

Or if you like to draw,

Draw out the images that you saw and come back to it throughout the year and and see how things are going.

Thank you for practicing with me today and happy new year.