In these dark days around the winter solstice, I’ve been diving and digging deep, assessing the past year and considering the next year. What emerged from these ponderings is a guiding word for me for the coming year: CONNECT.
As it continued to assert itself, and I let it settle, I had to laugh. Because, of course, CONNECT is another way to say yoga. And because of that I resisted it, considering spicier words like spacious, clarity, travel, and dharma. Yet CONNECT kept calling to me, so I’m gonna stick with it, because there are specific ways and means I want to CONNECT.
As always, HIGHEST FIRST: CONNECTing with my Self. First through practice. Each and every day, connect to that highest place in myself. Cultivate an established CONNECTion that grants me ready access. Create a conduit within myself that allows me to channel that which will be of greatest service.
Then, take time to CONNECT and access that channel in any given situation. Pause to CONNECT to the highest, wisest, most loving place I can muster. And act from the CONNECTed place. With each action, I want to remember the CONNECTion I have with all beings. I want to look closely at how I participate in creating separation, and make choices that acknowledge the CONNECTedness of all beings.
This year as well, I want to dive even deeper into the teachings. I want to create a more personal CONNECTion with them through deeper contemplation and application in my life.
And, I want to help others CONNECT to the teachings. To do this I need to CONNECT with people who need to hear what I have to offer. This one is a little mysterious to me, so I’m just throwing this out to the universe as an intention and see what comes back.
As part of that I want to CONNECT people in community. I want to continue to gather like-minded individuals together for practice, study, and well, CONNECTion. I want to do this in a bigger way on-line this year, and I am hoping to find ways to open people up to making a deeper and sincere CONNECTion with each other around the teachings.
As well, I want to CONNECT with writing. It is a love of mine, and I’ve been a bit shy and fearful about putting stuff out there, but I want to make it happen. I could use some encouragement here.
And I want to reCONNECT with old friends, and CONNECT with new ones. I’ve been feeling a little personally isolated of late. I need to be held a little more.
As we move through the year, I hope you will help me CONNECT, with some reminders, reflection, and love.
CHOOSE YOUR WORD:
If you would like to come up with a word to guide your year, try out these contemplations. You will likely want to do these steps over a period of a few days to let your ideas percolate and settle.
1. Contemplate what you want to have happen in the next year. What would your ideal day look like? What will you do? How will you feel? Consider qualities you want to develop and what your heart really needs. Describe in your journal.
2. Look at what emerged in your writing and make a list of the words that most evoke the sense of what you want to cultivate in 2015.
3. Consider this list and which words resonate with you most. Narrow it down to the most potent 3-5 words. Perhaps journal on each of these to see which yields the most or feels the best. If you have trouble coming up with a final word, randomly choose one and see if you register any disappointment, and if so, choose another one and see how it feels, until you finally settle on the one that feels right.