Set Your Intentions with Me - A Practice for 2023

Hello Everyone,

Happy New Year to you all! Wherever you are in the world, I hope your holiday season was relaxing and spent with those you love. So here we are, it is January and 2022 is now in the past. We have a brand new year ahead of us, full of possibilities and opportunities, and it’s time to consider the path we would like our shiny new year to take. As someone who thrives on setting intentions and working towards goals in my life, l love this time of year. It feels like a powerful reset for mind, body and spirit. I find that this month, more than any other, moves into a flow state of abundance and creativity for the new year ahead, when I sit down and do this practice of releasing the past year and setting intentions and goals for the coming year. I would love to invite you take a little time with me here today, in this window of the first days (or weeks) of the new year, to honour all that 2022 brought your way, and then with clear vision, imagine the exciting possibilities that lie ahead.

So let’s begin this practice together for 2023.

Firstly, creating a sacred space in which to do this practice will truly enhance the intensity and power you create. This intention will generate positive energy to strengthen the ritual - like a container it will hold the essence of your practice and feel like a warm embrace around you, as you imagine your life going forward from this day. To do this is as simple as lighting a candle, smudging the space with sage or palo santo or adding some of your favourite essential oils to a diffuser. Alternatively you can just get really cozy and comfortable by setting up a little nest of cushions, a warm blanket and maybe a cup of hot tea or cocoa, to establish the ambience for this time, which is all for you! Anything that allows you to feel peaceful and comfortable, with an element of self nurturing, is all that is needed. From just this intention alone, you will feel the power of the practice immediately. One of my favourite essential oils for creating sacred space is this one from Sage: https://www.saje.com/ca/product/yoga-4565.html And one of my favourite hot chocolate recipes for this practice is here: https://ohsheglows.com/2014/01/14/luxurious-dairy-free-hot-cocoa/

Once you are settled, 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. I like to carve out a little time in these first days of January to be alone, even for half an hour, to give myself space to quietly reflect on the year that has come to close. Perhaps you can reflect on all that you were able to handle and overcome, all that seemed difficult at the time and how you were able to navigate those challenges? Honouring yourself and acknowledging your resilience, is a wonderful way to step into your power for the coming year ahead. Now reflect upon all the moments of joy, laughter, new achievements (however large or small), those times in the past year when life was flowing easily and how that flow state felt. This can be as simple as making a list of those accomplishments or journaling for a page or so, on how well you handled those challenging situations, with the encouragement and acknowledgment you would offer to a good friend. Then make another list or journal entry focusing on your achievements. How did they feel? What made them special? Who helped you along the way? Acknowledging these positive elements of your year, giving yourself permission to honour your triumphs and joy, and show gratitude to those who stood by and cheered you on, generates the powerful, positive energy you want to create as your vision for your future. The journal I am currently loving for practices like this is here: https://www.amazon.ca/Gratitude-Journal-Writing-Creativity/dp/0738749567/ref=pd_lpo_3?pd_rd_w=xDzFV&content-id=amzn1.sym.bc8b374c-8130-4c45-bf24-4fcc0d96f4d6&pf_rd_p=bc8b374c-8130-4c45-bf24-4fcc0d96f4d6&pf_rd_r=GG51948HXNBN6QK70NQP&pd_rd_wg=pYbzw&pd_rd_r=25b0d750-76f8-44a5-8290-ae67878ea250&pd_rd_i=0738749567&psc=1

**A beautiful journal is a wonderful place to plant the seeds of possibility for the New Year.**

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 take a journal and set out some written ideas on paper. This helps me to organise 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 also name those categories differently, to suit your life.

Then I begin to free write about whatever comes in, as I think and dream about those categories of my life. Nothing is set in stone; I just 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 - After a couple of years of renovation projects in my home, my intentions for the coming year are to continue to work on my garden, which I planted during the pandemic. And I really want to focus on some major decluttering!
Family - This can include anything related to your family and other close relationships. This year, my intention is to see my family in the UK more often. After the pandemic years, this is high on my list of life goals. Also, I want to focus on my relationship with my partner, as my kids are getting older and doing their own thing so much more. And of course, time with my kids, when I can get it! Their social lives are hectic, but making time for my most important relationships is always my priority.

Work - This has been a big category for me for the past few years. I achieved my Iyengar Yoga Teacher Certification in 2021. I had been working towards this for many years and I immediately started this business upon its completion. Now, my intention for the year ahead is to focus on this blog, making it the best it can be for my readers, while working on other yoga and wellness content for my website and my community.

**Prioritising creativity in my studio workspace this year.**

Self - In this category, my goal is to put myself first a little more. This can be very difficult for women, especially mums, I think. But as my kids get older and my needs increase, (as I work with the transition of menopause), self care is high on my priority list. Making this a strong intention will not only benefit my health and well-being during this time of my life, but the positive effects will trickle down into all my relationships.
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 this category, focusing on my family’s diet, (which is very healthy generally), has helped my son with a skin issue. This awareness of our sugar intake has been so positive for us all. Another intention in this category is making sure I continue to take care of my hormonal health, by keeping regular appointments with my acupuncturist, massage therapist and functional medicine doctor.
Fun - I love this category! And again, it overlaps with others, such as self care, health, family, and work. My goals in this section are to just do more of what I love! So, wild swimming as much as possible in the warmer months, prioritising my yoga practice, reading more books and being with the people I love. Even on the busiest days, I want to try to bring an element of fun into each day, no matter how small. Laughter truly is the best medicine and it can benefit our physical, mental and emotional health so much. Therefore, I want to laugh more and make fun a priority whenever I can!

**Wild swimming in the ocean is at the top of my fun category for 2023.**

Once I’m pretty clear on my goals for the coming year, I start to bring them into image form. I use photos from magazines, Pinterest or personal photos, and start to create 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! Someone asked me once how I know my word for the year. I find that it comes very clearly during, or at the end of this practice. Occasionally, it has come to me during a walk or while I’m immersed in a yoga practice. You will know when you have found it; there will be an energy you can feel, and the word will immediately create the essence of what you want the year ahead to hold for you.

**My vision board for 2022 looked like this.**

When my practice is coming to a close, I like to take a few deeper breathes again. I blow out my candle and mentally release all that I have worked on to the Universe. I have acknowledged and honoured the year that has come to a close. I have released all that was good, and not so good from that year. I have planted my seeds of intention going forward for the different categories of my life, created my goals and visioned what those goals and dreams may look like. I have invited in a word (or words) for the year ahead, and now it is time to release it all. My intentions and visions are set, in the knowing that the Universe will work out the details.

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 2023. 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 of this website. If you have any questions about this intention setting practice, or any other health, wellness or yoga related comments or questions, do get in touch. I would love to hear from you!

You can also find me on Instagram and on YouTube. Come practice with me there, I would love to see you! I can recommend my Yoga for Transformation practice as a perfect compliment to this New Year practice. Find it here: https://youtu.be/n7ru-fkro-o

And if you would like to start a yoga practice as one of your intentions for 2023, my Yoga for Beginners blog post will be helpful as you begin that journey. Find it here: https://www.sacrednorthyoga.com/the-be-well-blog/yoga-for-beginners-how-to-start-a-yoga-practice-or-develop-a-home-practice-that-will-change-your-lifenbsp

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And as always if this inspired you today, please share it with a friend; it might inspire them too!

Until next time... Be Well!