HEALTH YOURSELF
NEW YEAR, NEW YOU?
We invest in gadgets, stock up on supplements and sign up to gym classes to improve our health and wellbeing, but what if we told you the most powerful tool you have is actually free? In our new weekly column, JANINE THOMAS explains how using your body, mind and breath can help you sail through life — and it won’t cost you a cent. Each week she takes a different, often challenging, scenario and shows you how to make the best of it using the simplest methods.
JANUARY 1 brings with it a new year and the chance of a fresh start. This is the time, apparently, to get fit, lose weight, stop smoking, get rich, give up booze, go vegan, be organised, and spend more time with family and friends. Phew. No pressure, then.
We can all think of ways we could improve our lives and ourselves, but do you really want a ‘new you’ in 2019? Is the present version of yourself really that awful? After all, nobody is perfect — how boring would that be?
This year, don’t set yourself up to fail by making huge, expansive New Year’s Resolutions. Maybe soften the word ‘resolution’ and form an intention instead.
Pick one or two small intentions and pick them very wisely. Before you jump on the Veganuary or Dry January bandwagon, consider if it would be more beneficial to have a ‘damp’ January, whereby you savour a drink or two once a week, or have meatfree weekdays. Making a change in this way means that it is much more likely to become a habit for life, which is far healthier in the long run.
The start of a new year is a natural time of flux that invites us to look inward. Welcome this today and find five minutes to process 2018 and look forward to the exciting year ahead.
A NEW YEAR MEDITATION
SIT on the floor if you can, either crosslegged, kneeling or leaning against a wall (a physical connection to the earth is a bonus when you do mindfulness or meditation practices, but it’s not essential).
Wherever you are, make sure it is quiet and warm, and get yourself comfortable.
Cup one hand inside the other, resting them in your lap, palms facing up. Gently close your eyes.
On an inhale, shrug your shoulders right up to your ears; on your next exhale, release them. Feel the crown of your head move towards the ceiling as the spine lengthens. Soften the belly.
Bring your attention to the breath and watch it ebb and flow. Now take a moment to think of all that you are and everything you have achieved in the past year. Sit quietly and think in depth about the positive moments of 2018. Be proud of who you are and what you have achieved. Even if you reckon it was a bummer of a year, when you look back in this way, you’ll be surprised at the moments of joy and happiness that flood into your mind.
Next, cast your thoughts back to any sad or troubling times that also arose last year. Don’t pass judgement, just acknowledge them. This needs to be done to process the year and move on.
Return to the gentle ebb and flow of your breath. Bring your hands onto the heart, one on top of the other, and feel the chest rise and fall. Stay here for a minute or two focusing on the subtle movement under your hands.
Repeat to yourself, slowly and meaningfully in your head. the mantra ‘I am enough’. Repeat twice more.
Whatever your decision about making New Year’s resolutions and whatever they might be, this mantra cultivates selfacceptance. When we learn to accept who we are in the present moment, it feels empowering. When we are empowered, and quash our inner critics, we change organically, resolutions or no resolutions. It’s a very powerful thing indeed.
Finally, look to the year ahead. Focus on your hands, resting on your chest, and feel a warmth and softness expand in the heartspace. When you feel ready, slowly open your eyes.
So this year, whatever you want to change for 2019, keep those resolutions simple, short and sweet. And then make sure you have the positive mindset to see them through — more on that next week.
Happy New Year, folks! May your 2019 be a very special year indeed.