Whilst January is often seen as the time when we should be setting new intentions and bringing in healthy changes, this time of year can be far more powerful in creating new routines.
This is a special time of year. What we see outside our windows is changing all the time; the leaves turning rusty-reds and burnt-oranges, before starting to die back and fall. We learn so much from nature about the joy of letting go as, when we let go, we make space for something new to form.
There’s also a magical nostalgia in this time of year with the back-to-school vibes. New pencils and notebooks, school dinners and apples on desks. This fresh energy encourages fresh starts, new opportunities and finding time to commit to change. For parents, it might mean having more time available to focus again on themselves, but even for the child-free, this time of a year encourages the chance to settle and re-new.
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” Alan Watts
After the outgoing activities of summer (the bbqs, the trips to the seaside, or the long walks in the hazy heat of the sun), we now turn inwards. We seek time indoors, film nights or being curled up on the sofa with a good book, we naturally turn more introspective and thoughtful during this season. We are all so busy in the summer “making the most of it,” it can often leave us feeling drained and ready for a shift. As the days get shorter and the evenings get darker and colder, you might experience fewer social engagements: and therefore have time to start re-investing energy in yourself.
It’s also a great time of the year for food with autumn harvests delivering sumptuous and nutritious foods. A time to cook wholesome dinners to fill us up and warm us from the inside out. It’s time to get some soup on the boil or get the slow-cooker out and have something scrumptious bubbling away all of Sunday. This time of year makes me think of chillis, stews, pies and apple crumbles (but maybe that’s because I’m thinking about school dinners again…).
Using the power of this time of year to create new routines and introduce new habits, however small they might be, can lead to big changes and breakthroughs. Furthermore, consistency is key! Like with our yoga, it’s all about practice.
By taking part in The 7-Day Mindful Journey, you are carving out time each day for you and learning practices that you can repeat throughout your day, your week, whenever you need them. We talked about summer being a busy period, but aren’t we busy all year round these days? We need practices we can rely on to help us find calm and balance when we need it.
When New Year 2025 comes round, your self-care routine will already be embedded!
Not yet signed up? You can join here.
Category: Healthy routines, Yoga to Relax