Intention Setting Ceremony for the New Year | with a guided meditation

'Tis the season to clarify our personal mission statements, to ignite the North Star of our deepest heart longing and let this inner focal point guide our path. As this year comes to a close, we honor the moments of darkness and light that we have been through as we face new beginnings in the New Year. Acknowledging the ups and downs on our journey, we release what no longer serves us and create space for possibility.

Sankalpa, Sanskrit for intention, restores clarity to our Drishti (vision). It’s the resolve, determination, and soul vision resonating in our cores, aligning with our essence. Sankalpa shapes and holds our dreams and hopes. It’s the inner compass you can trust to find your True North.

“Your greatest test will come in the dark moments when your soul is being squeezed.
That’s when you want to be grounded in your bigger purpose -- your North Star.”
- Baron Baptiste

New Years Intention Setting Ceremony
for letting go of the past year and aligning your intentions with your core values.

Yoga and Meditation - Wherever attention goes, energy flows. Create a space for mind-body connection by starting your practice with yoga and meditation before moving into reflective exercises. By starting your intention setting ceremony with an asana practice, you give your body space to reset its nervous system. After your energetic channel has been cleared in your asana practice, meditation can help to center oneself and open the mind’s eye.

“In oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, then the door is there and the key is in your hand.
Nobody on earth can give you either the key or the door to open, except yourself.”
Krishnamurti in ‘You are the World’

“In oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, then the door is there and the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either the key or the door to open, except yourself.”
Krishnamurti in ‘You are the World’

Journaling - Define your intention through Svadhyaya, the practice of self-inquiry and journaling with the following journaling prompts.  

Sankalpa - We are armed with the knowledge that our attention feeds and nourishes our physical reality, so we want to define our Sankalpa, the focused gathering of energy, towards the kind of life we want to live. Where you’re starting from doesn’t determine where you’ll wind up. However, where you aim does. So aim higher and bolder!  Pull out a pen and some paper, and set a 10-15 minute timer and see what arises.

Ask yourself:

• What do you value?
• What is your soul’s deepest longing?
• What does your body, mind, spirit and life circumstances really call for?

Drishti - Drishti is often referred to as a focal point for maintaining balance in asana practices - but can also refer to focused attention on your intention. Set your Drishti on your North Star and take aim. In your mind's eye, line up your bow and point your arrow at your target. Check the wind. Mark the space between you and your objective. Check your periphery. Sight your support systems. Now look within and find the strength to draw the bow.

Ask yourself:

• Is there anything distracting your Drishti that you can let go of?
• What are the ways in which fear is stopping you from living in love this upcoming year?

Sadhana - Sadhana is the practice of showing up consistently and staying in the work. Seeing your life through the clarifying lense of truth aligns your day to day life with your soul's purpose.

Your Sankalpa is defined and your Drishit is set, now to establish short-term and long-term goals so as to keep training your Drishti back to your heart. Ask yourself:

• What action steps can you take in the next week, month, 3 months, and 6 months to stay aligned with your sankalpa?
• Define weekly and monthly targets and set up accountability and support systems to help you reach each goal.
• Take this opportunity to define actionable steps of how you can step out of fear and move more into love this upcoming year.

Wherever you are, I pray for you - that your bow and arrow will be strong and true.

By Zia Estrella and Hannah Parks; All Rights Reserved @2020