Do you ever feel like you want to start over? Like you wish you could press the refresh button? Maybe it’s because life is so amazing that you just want to continue to savor its goodness over and over again, or maybe it’s because if you were able to start over you could un-do something you wish didn’t happen. For many it may feel like a mix of the two depending on the day. Well, guess what: whether you wanted it or not the refresh button just got hit.
The breath is a great representation of the cycle of life that we are on, with one year ending and a new one beginning. This moment at the beginning of a new year is the beginning of inspiration, the start of a new breath. The top of the breath may be compared to the fullness of summer, and as we exhale we drift back into winter’s darkness, to eventually come back to the stillness in between breaths. And then like clockwork, it all happens again. We don’t need to plan our next breath, it happens naturally.
So here we are at the beginning of a new year. In terms of our on-the-mat yoga practice it’s the time when we stretch our bodies out after savasana, wiggle our fingers and toes, and curl up onto our sides. We get to savor the dark stillness before we rise into our seat, om, and make our way back into “real” life. In these last few moments of stillness it can be tempting to try to plan our day, our week, or our life. Don’t forget to savor this moment before life bursts back into action. Remember the stillness of your savasana, of the culmination of the year that has just past, that is now only a memory. Remember that each moment and each breath is an opportunity to start fresh and new. You don’t need to be who you were 5 breaths ago, last year, or 10 years ago. You also don’t need to be who you think you should be sometime in the future. Be true to who you are in each moment. Take a fresh start whenever you need it. The world will thank you for it. Happy New Year! May it be full of abundance, joy and clarity.
