Another new year has begun! It’s January, a month named after the Roman God Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions, and often symbolized by gates, doorways, and passageways. Janus is often depicted with two faces, one looking back in reflection, and one looking forward with anticipation. As we begin the new year we stand on the threshold between what has been and what can be, which is a potent time to consciously set intentions for the manifestation of our deepest desires.
But before we get busy with New Year’s resolutions, to-do lists, and the details of daily life, I invite you to indulge in a Sacred Pause…an opportunity to slow down, relax, and carve out some time for reflection on the previous year. Allowing the various memories of the year to bubble up as they wish, have your journal handy, and use these questions to guide your meditation:
Which memories of the past year held the most meaning for you? Perhaps you achieved a long held dream or goal. Maybe it was an interaction with a stranger or a loved one that invoked intimacy, compassion, or forgiveness. It could even have been a moment you experienced nature with an open heart and expanded consciousness.
What did you engage in that made your heart sing? A hobby, an interest, a volunteer offering, a cause you are passionate about, or anything that was just plain fun!
What did you learn this year? This might be a practical new skill, a spiritual or emotional insight, or a valuable lesson learned in the midst of adversity.
How did you take that next step (or that first step) on your personal/spiritual journey? Did you face your fear, surrender to your grief, or appropriately access and express your rage? Did you peel off another layer of your mask, assume responsibility for an aspect of negativity, or surrender more deeply to the Divine?
Who were you supported by? In big and small ways, who were the people that showed up to encourage, witness, challenge, teach, and inspire you?
Give yourself plenty of time to savor the memory of these moments. Breathe into them, allowing yourself to deeply take in the fulfillment, the gratitude, the joy, the grace. Even if you had a challenging year, see if you can find those moments where grace shined through the darkness. If you can’t think of much that is positive about the year, breathe again and drop a little deeper. Allow your subconscious to surprise you with meaningful moments you may have forgotten. Take in the pleasure of what these experiences meant to you.
We don’t want to ignore, deny, or gloss over the difficult experiences we have recently been through, but we also don’t want to skip past the good stuff so quickly that we don’t fully receive it. Taking a Sacred Pause can help us to acknowledge and connect with the abundance and support that we already have, and we can use that as a foundation for creating what we would like in the coming months. When we look at the big picture and realize that we are already at work creating positively in certain areas of our life — even in the midst of hardship — we gain the confidence, motivation and the inspiration to expand that in the months and years to come.
So as you begin this new year, fresh with possibility, hold these meaningful moments in your consciousness for the next few days with appreciation. Let them illuminate that dark place in you that tries to make you believe, “I’m not enough.” “It’s hopeless.” “My life has no purpose.” “I’ll never manifest my dreams.” (or whatever your voice says). These are misconceptions, or what the Pathwork calls “Images.” Challenge them with the memory of your moments of accomplishment, connection, insight, and deep meaning!
Sharing meaningful moments with others is another powerful way to deeply imprint the experience in your soul. I’d love to hear about an especially meaningful experience you had this year, so I invite you to leave a comment at the end of this post with a few words about what you want to remember
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