Clearing the Old, Calling in the New Ritual

We are entering that time of the year where the temperatures and darker days invite us inside, not only spending more time snuggling on the sofa at home, but also going inside to ourselves to reflect on 2018 and recharge for 2019.

On December 20, 2004, I experienced a life-changing moments. Long story short, I decided enough was enough. I was ready to stop drinking alcohol. I distinctly recall rationalizing with myself, “Maybe I should I wait until January 1st to make such a drastic change.” Followed by a small whisper that said, “No, we should start now.” I realized when I heard that faint voice say we should start now, that it was correct and if I waited until the New Year, I might loose the inspiration. So I decided to go for it on December 20th. Over that next year I went through a massive metamorphosis. One of the most valuable lessons I learned from the experience is that I have the choice every day to make whatever changes I desire. I do not have to wait for a new year.

So instead of making resolutions, or creating goals, I like to clear away the old and make space for the new.. Why? Because we must clear away the debris from the pipe so there is room for the waters to flow. Clearing away debris happens on all levels of consciousness - mind, body, heart, and soul.

Here we go!

1. Decluttering the mind by releasing old beliefs and stories

   There are over 70,000 thoughts that go through your brain on a daily basis. Most of us are not aware of the mind chatter. We think. We believe what we think. We have an experience based on what we think. This is why meditation is so valuable. It helps us observe the thoughts and notice how many of them are just not true. So in order to clear about debris in the mind, we have to get clear with ourselves and our thoughts. Here are a few journaling questions:

   
   1. What were your greatest tangible accomplishments in 2018? 
   2. What were your greatest internal accomplishments in 2018? 
   3. How did you manifest and complete those goals in 2018? 
   4. What supported you in manifesting? What did not? 
   5. What did you set out to do but haven't completed yet?
   6. What support do you need in completing those goals? 
   7. What 2018 goals are you ready to release and which ones are you giving to Spirit to handle?

   By answering these questions we clear away 2018 and make room for what we want to call in for 2019.

   8. What is is that you want to create, experience, embody, manifest, make in 2019?

   9. What type of support can you set up now to nurture your creations?

   Write down any feelings that rise up inside of you. Do not process them. Just observe and write.

2. Clearing away the body:

   We energetic beings, made up on 37.2 trillion cells vibrating so fast they look solid, these cells can easily pick up energy and carry it. Imagine each of those times you didn’t say what needed to be said, you got a creepy feeling from someone but bypassed it, you didn’t follow through on that goal you set out to do the past three years, were stressed and unintentionally rushing from one task to the next, that in all of those experiences we absorb other the energy that is not aligned for us, as well as the ones that are.

   Imagine each of these energies you stay with you, like an extra layer of clothing piled on top of one another. You’d feel weighted and heavy. By clearing out the old we are consciously choosing to take off the layers so we can be naked and free - our true self - for the year ahead. Write down any feelings that rise up inside of you. Do not process them. Just observe and write.

   Take a bundle of dried sage, palo Santo, sweet grass, or one of my favorites for winter time, cinnamon stick. Burn your herb or wood until there is a significant amount of smoke. Envision and verbally place what you are ready to release into the smoke. Watch the smoke fade and disappear. Place whatever people, places, things, qualities, habits you are ready to release.

3. Lightening the heart:

   The emotional self is usually the part of you that gets triggered, angry, upset, hurt and this part is usually our inner child, which is the aspect of us that often times had to grow up, be strong, fix or people please, protect or defend, in order to stay safe and be loved. Do you have an actual photo, or a memory of what you looked like as a child. Take that photo and look at her (or him). What does she (or he) think about your intentions and goals for 2019? Does she (or he) agree with those goals? What does that inner child want? need from you? How does she (or he) want you to support and show up for them? Write this down and observe whatever feelings are coming to the surface.

4. Expanding the soul:

The soul level of consciousness is not your human self. Your human self thinks, acts and feels. Your soul has no duality, no judgment, no trigger, no emotions. It is a neutral energy that observes, nudges, leads, and sometimes has to pull you to awareness.

In order to connect with your soul, we need to take a moment of connecting to a memory where we felt no judgment, no duality, no anger, no fear. Instead think of a time when you were in flow, in joy, in peace, in bliss. Once you have that memory solidified, tap into that energy of unconditional love, non-judgment, compassion, and love. How does “it” feel about your goals and intentions for 2019? Are they realistic? Are they setting her (or him) up for success (or failure)? What does she (or he) need in order to make them happen.

Allowing ourselves the space to check in with how these other parts feel about our human, ego self ideas of what needs to be expressed and created through our human life. This is how we clear away what no longer serves us, not from the ego, but from the soul. When we tap into desires for the next year from that space, we’ll have a source that does not run dry. All we have to do is tap back into the energy and feeling of what our younger self and higher self shared with us.

I would love to hear about what you gained, valued, and learned from this process. Share below or with myself and the conscious executives and entrepreneurs in the Wake Up & Rise Facebook Group.

With love, Gwen