Happy New Year 2021

This NEW YEAR brings the promise of fresh opportunities.

 I love the energy of the New Year. There is increased enthusiasm and motivation to be your best. Seize the moment. Be present. Show up. Whatever it is that brings you joy, health, and happiness, DO IT! Be inspired!

A few of my favorite things are yoga, being in nature, and being with people (virtually or by telephone) who make me laugh. It’s pretty simple! Do what you love; love what you do.

The practice of yoga is about pausing mentally and tuning into the present moment as it is happening. It’s conscious union with what is. Be present within your mind, body, and spirit; relax, breathe, and notice how you feel in each pose. Doing yoga in this way is so freeing, life affirming, and self-empowering.

Yoga class always feels amazing, but you can also experience your yoga off the mat in your life. You can choose to orient from awareness rather than from conditioning or habitual thought patterns. When I notice myself reacting habitually, or without consideration, it doesn’t feel good. I don’t feel good. Instead, when I’m ready, I tune in and ask, “What is the Truth of what is happening here?” Then I pause mentally and listen, receptive to whatever it is I need to know in that moment. I may continue to inquire, “What now?” or “What information do I need to know regarding this situation?” Oftentimes, I get a knowing feeling, like, YES, I’VE GOT IT! (Sometimes it’s more subtle than that, though.)  

Deep relaxation also allows me to connect with how I am feeling. I can experience the sensations, thoughts, feelings, and emotions as they happen. I feel what is happening as it happens and experience awareness of what is without resistance, without making an effort to change it, and without judgement. I do my best to give myself lots of space to just be, and you can do the same.

It feels so good to be open to exploring things differently and discovering the newness that is always available. It’s easy to get in a pattern and to keep repeating the same things over and over again, like in the movie Groundhog Day. But as we engage with life, and learn, and find inspiration, we can experience each moment as fresh, new, and alive. We are all active coparticipants in the movement of life. It’s awesome to be open and continue to listen and learn and give and receive support and love. We need each other, truly and fully.

In this New Year, let’s be motivated and feel enthusiasm together. Be your own teacher and be your own student. Love your teachers, role models, and friends, and be open to being loved, appreciated, and supported by them. You wouldn’t be who you are without them. Feel gratitude. 

Here’s a fun New Year’s opportunity--create a special space or an altar where you can put pictures, remembrances, or quotes that spark gratitude within you.

We all go through really hard times, and this past year has been especially difficult for us all. But we are indeed part of a local and global village. When I need help or support, I reach out! I am so grateful to have created new friendships during this past year. I am aware that so many are not as fortunate and have even lost loved ones. It is essential that we allow ourselves to grieve and to feel anger or sadness. These feelings must be experienced before we can move forward. When the time is right, our experiences can become the motivation we need to learn and grow.

The beginning of the New Year is a perfect time to find calm. Try a breathing exercise or other breath-awareness technique to come back to your natural state of peace and ease. One of my favorite breathing exercises is the pursed-lip exhale, or straw breathing. Here’s how you do it: 

1.         Lie down on your back in a comfortable place with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. If you feel neck tension, put a little towel or blanket under your head. But think neutral neck, not pillow under the head.

2.       Put one hand on your low belly and the other on your low ribcage.

3.        Notice your breath. Notice the way your body feels.

4.     After anywhere from three to eight natural breaths, consider moving into doing the pursed-lip exhale.

5.        Begin by inhaling through your nose, then purse your lips like you have an imaginary eco-straw between your lips. Exhale through that straw to the very end of the exhale, and pause at the end of the out breath for as long as is comfortable. This pause is part of your natural breath cycle. Sink your body weight into the ground as much as you are able to within this pause.

6.      Continue the pursed-lip exhale for three to eight rounds.

7.       Return to your natural breath.

8.      Repeat the pursed-lip exhale for another cycle or two.

9.      When you are finished with each cycle, notice how you feel. Do you feel differently from when you started? Is your breath fuller and more expansive? Do you feel more grounded? Do you feel like you are more in your body? Do you feel calmer? Do you feel more present?

The pursed-lip exhale is designed to lengthen your exhale, which lengthens your inhale, which lengthens your entire breathing rhythm. A longer exhale and breath cycle is calming to the nervous system, which relaxes the mind and body. There are numerous benefits that come with coming back to your natural diaphragmatic breath. I feel relaxed, at ease, and like myself again. When I am relaxed and at ease, I am receptive to fresh inspiration, which is where new options and choices feel like they suddenly become more available. I feel happy without trying to be happy, and life is fun! Joy and excitement for the New Year bubbles up within me!

Happy, healthy, and bubbly New Year wishes to YOU! 

If you need help or support, please reach out to a friend, relative, or even me. My email is aliemcmanus@yahoo.com.

Here are a couple of online resources for additional help: https://www.benefits.gov/help/faq/Coronavirus-resources, https://www.mentalhealth.gov/get-help/immediate-help