Hello Women, 

Happy New Year to you all! 2022 is here and I think we are all ready to reset mind and body a little bit, and move into a flow state of abundance and creativity for the new year ahead. I know I am! 2021 was many things. I know for some it was a year of much struggle and pain, and my heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones. I think for all of us it was a year of challenge in some way or another, and as we pause here together in this window of the first days of a new year, I encourage you to take some time to honour all that was difficult and beautiful about last year, before planning for the year ahead. This short but powerful ritual brings a gentle closure to the year, sealing it ever so gently, allowing you to move forward with a new, clean slate. 

Finding a little time in these first days of January to be alone, even for half an hour, to give yourself space to quietly reflect on all that you faced and all that you were able to handle and overcome, not only acknowledges your resilience, but is a wonderful way to step into your power for the coming year ahead. This can be as simple as making a list of any achievements, big and small, or journaling on how well you handled a challenging situation, with the encouragement and acknowledgment you would offer to a good friend. Creating a sacred space to do this can also be incredibly helpful in how powerful the ritual will feel, inviting in sacred energy to enhance your practice. You can light a candle, smudge the space with sage or palo santo, or just create a cozy feeling of comfort by bringing some comfortable cushions, a warm blanket or a cup of hot tea or cocoa into the ritual. Anything that allows you to feel peaceful and comfortable with an element of self nurturing is all that’s needed. Then, take a few deeper breaths and allow yourself to begin the process of planting the seeds of all the amazing possibilities that can germinate and grow as the new year expands. 

I like to do a visual representation of what I hope to manifest, work towards and achieve in the coming year. But before I do that, I like to take a journal and set out some written ideas on paper. It helps me to get clear on the aspects of my life that I’m working on and allows for greater clarity. I usually have five or six categories that I work with. They are: 

• Home

• Family

• Work

• Self

• Health

• Fun

Of course you can make as many as you like, but to keep things simple, I like to have a maximum of six. And you can totally name those categories differently, to suit your life. 

I then journal - just freely writing about whatever comes in as I think and dream about those categories of my life. Nothing is set in stone, I just free write and allow what needs to come through. Sometimes, it’s totally expected and sometimes not! Sometimes I surprise myself! 

Examples of expanding on these areas of life can be: 

• Home - Last year we had our bathroom renovated. A long overdue job that needed much careful planning and coordinating. Also, planning of my garden and making a studio in my home to work from with my business.

• Family - This can include anything related to your family and other close relationships. Last year I focused on a family holiday, despite the travel restrictions. Calling my family in the UK as often as possible, as for another year running, we could not visit them. And adding a new pet to our family.

• Work -This was a big one for me last year. I wanted to achieve my Iyengar Yoga Teacher Certification, which I had been working towards for six years. I also wanted to start a small business, create a website and a blog! I dreamed big and was able to achieve all of them!

• Self - In yet another year of pandemic, I wanted to focus a little more energy on my self care this past year, to sustain my physical and mental health. So in this category I brought in simple ways to nurture myself, even for a short time, everyday. I also focused on some style goals and allowed myself to think about myself more often, something that is often hard for women, especially mums, to do.

• Health - As you can see by now, these categories overlap. Often focusing on ourselves a little more brings about positive outcomes in health, family etc... For health, I focussed on my diet, (which is very healthy generally), but helping my son with a skin issue promoted a greater awareness of my sugar intake, as well as his. And making sure I was taking care of my hormonal health, as peri menopause was in full swing and keeping regular appointments with my acupuncturist, massage therapist and naturopath are making that journey much easier.

• Fun - I love this category! And again, it overlaps with others, such as self care, health, family, and work. Last year my goals in this section were wild swimming as much as possible in the warmer months, planning a holiday to the ocean, bringing an element of fun into each day, no matter how small, to help ease pandemic fatigue, and just laughing more with kids, watching funny shows on tv or reading funny books.

Once I’m pretty clear on my goals for the coming year, I start to bring them into image form. Either from magazines, Pinterest or photos and I start a vision board based on those images. I like to add some art work and words with paint pens and then I feel like I’m ready to find my word or words for the year. I keep that word, (or words) with me for the entire year and whenever I’m working on my goals, I invite in the energy of that word. It’s very powerful. 

So dream big, my friends. Set your intentions, free write, create images, or just make a list, while inviting in the energy of what you would like to manifest in 2022. The power of intention is everything. 

I’d love to know what you are creating for the new year, so please leave a comment below, or find me on the Connect with Me page. I answer all messages and would love to dream with you this year. Happy creating everyone! 

Until next time....