Letting go the year that has been
We are about to commence, not only a new year cycle but also a new decade.
It is only a few weeks away.
Many of us are looking forward to the shiny new potential of 2020 and quietly aware that this also calls for opportunities to let go of our attachments to old ways of being.
Let go.
How often do we hear this?
"It's time to let go." "Just let it go." "I should let go." "Why can't I let go." "I want to let go." "Why do I have to let go?"
It seems that, as a society, we struggle with the concept and process of letting go.
So eager are we to race towards the shimmering newness of experiences, we forget that the mysterious workings of life are such that the old and new will forever merge as one, making sweet love to each other all the while maintaining a sense of wholeness on its own.
Everywhere we look, we are encouraged to set goals, make plans, get clear on our intentions, move forward and welcome the new. Just like the birth of a newborn baby, we are encouraged to celebrate new life with much joy.
But how did we get here?
To honour the old is to acknowledge the ancient wisdom of the universe we belong to.
And the way to do this is by honouring our life - past, present and future.
We find ourselves at the cusp of change, transformation and rebirth as we step into 2020.
The possibilities are endless when we take time to pause, breathe and embrace the old.
1. Grieve with love
Just as there may have been much to celebrate in 2019, life has also stretched our heart muscles to feel the loss of many. And the time has come to bow to its wisdom. Nature is beautiful in gently assisting in the letting go process.
Write down all the key experiences of 2019, the good, bad and beautiful. Then use the natural elements of life (air, water, fire, earth and ether) to bring forth transmutation. Personally, I wrote all that I wish to let go, burnt the paper over a candle, giving thanks for the lessons as I watched the fire engulf and turn into ashes. I then buried the ashes deep into the earth as a way of asking mother earth to continue to hold its wisdom for me.
2. Accept with tenderness
When you bypass staying present with your loss, you bypass the ecstatic feeling of being alive. So it is important to accept all the challenges of 2019 with tender love and care.
When fear, anxiety or doubt creep in, acknowledge each of these feelings like you would a little child. Try not to rush in, to replace or disconnect. Thank its presence by repeating, "I allow you exist just as you are. I acknowledge you to be part of me and I fully accept you." And breathe. Deep inhales and slow exhales. Repeat as many times as you need, until you feel your body settling into a deep state of acceptance.
3. Embrace with care
Your journey through the last twelve months has been nothing short of a miracle. You survived. You made it and you live to welcome another year. We often take our lives for granted, unconsciously assuming that we will wake up the next morning, with absolute surety. And yet the energy that breathes through us has a purpose of its own. Embrace this pulse of life with care. We are all part of this pulse of co-creation.
4. Release with trust
When we let go of anything, there is inevitably a sense of void. This void can create a level of stress in our body because through habit we quickly fill it without so much as pausing to remain present in the empty nothingness of each transitional phase in life.
This space of void is alive, contracting and expanding waiting for your powers of manifestation to fill it with life.
Trust in the void, trust in yourself and trust in the new beginnings is paramount to ensure the circle of life transitions is kept sacred.
Release - Space - Create - Experience - Release
Giving space for this void to breathe is like taking a break from the rat race of achievements and responsibilities.
My wish for you
May the next year be one that sees you step in your true power through mindful integration of all aspects of self that wish to be seen, felt and heard by creation.