Reflect and Reset
Let me start with a story : There was a man who was worshipping Goddess Lakshmi (The Goddess of wealth) with devotion for many years. He had a big family and number of responsibilities. A time came when he was really in need of money. One day he saw someone winning a lottery and getting lot of money. He started praying Goddess Lakshmi "O
! the compassionate Goddess, I never asked you for anything. I am in lot of difficulties. Kindly help me to win a lottery". He started praying everyday. Days and weeks passed and nothing happened. One day he became furious. Lost all his patience. Shouted at the Goddess. "I never asked anything from you. You are the Goddess of wealth. You are all powerful. Can you not be kind by making me win a lottery?" Suddenly he heard a ethereal voice. "My son! Can you be kind enough and buy a lottery ticket?" Let's do right things. It's not enough to plan, desire, wish, pray, demand or decide. We need to align our thoughts, feelings and actions. As we close out another year, and decade, it is a nice time to sit and reflect on how our life has been and where it is going. As we know, Joy is the true nature of the self, so if we are not experiencing Joy on a daily basis, this reflection can help us see where shifts are necessary in order to reset. Often people spend much time setting resolutions for the new year. These can be seen in all forms, from losing weight to quitting a vice. Many times the reflections are in a negative form. We keep looking at what we have not done and what we should have done. I invite you to take a bit of time in this new beginning to reflect on what has been working well for you and how you can attract more of it. Essentially reflecting in a positive way. For example, instead of focusing on "losing weight" we can focus on "maintaining well-being and fitness"... or instead of focusing on "all the stress", we carve out more time for "yoga, meditation and silence". Instead of complaining about "damage to the environment", we can focus on "those small changes in our own life to protect the environment". As the year progresses, schedule yourself weekly reflect + reset time. To review your week, assess your progress against your positive qualities list and make changes where necessary to steer your life in the direction you desire. Some of these might be quantifiable goals (Daily yoga and meditation) and others may be qualitative (building self love and patience). Why weekly? We all know how quickly time flies! As we set a weekly schedule to review, we can see how time is progressing and while we may "waste" a few days here and there not doing as we planned. With this weekly review we will not waste months or even the whole year. this helps to keep us in check and on schedule for a Joyful 2022.. So, what are some practical approaches for a Weekly Reflect + Reset session?
Choose a quiet, relaxed place where you will not be disturbed. Self work is one of the most important gifts we can give to ourselves. It is important to have a space where you can reflect without the disturbances of daily life.
Give yourself at least 30 minutes. Scheduling a set time each week allows for it to become part of your routine and eventually a habit.
Breathe. Spend 5 minutes practicing Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (alternate nostril breathing) to enhance balance and focus, or simply just watch the breath.
Recall the last week. Review your past week and see how in alignment with your list of positive qualities the week has been.
Journal. While recalling the past week, keep a journal of the activities and how they were in or out of alignment with your positive qualities list formed at the start of the year. This will allow you to see written progression throughout the weeks and have a tangible tracker.
Appreciate. Spend time appreciating the positives of the past week, allowing yourself to sit in the good feeling of knowing your progress.
Reset. With any pieces of the previous week you found out of alignment, simply allow yourself to acknowledge the slip, recognize we're only human and are bound to slip, then reset your focus and commit.
Gratitude. Relish in gratitude for yourself and others in the path of self work, and remember to always "enjoy the process".