How To Bring Alignment & Balance into 2019 (31 Day Self Care Challenge)
(I know Christmas and New Year’s is now over, but you may still find this blog useful and you can use the journalling guides around the period of the full moon. You will also find a 31 Day’s of Self Care Challenge to start 2019 off right)
Sometimes the period between Christmas and New Years can feel a little like being trapped in limbo…but it doesn’t have to be this way. The end of the year is a great time for self-reflection and contemplation, helping us to get clear on what we want to leave behind in 2018, and what we want to bring forth into the New Year. So instead of entering 2019 with a night you can’t remember and last year’s resolution, which you know you’re still not going to keep; Why not take some time and instead enter 2019 with high energy, clear intentions and a positive state of mind.
I have teamed up with a conscious, sustainable vegan shoe company, DIVADI, to kick start a 12 month project ‘Energy Evolution’. The intention behind this project, is to provide a framework towards turning 2019 into a year of self-improvement and blossoming. It’s a year long program, designed to help people to live in alignment with their highest self, creating a meaningful life of joy and fulfillment. Each month we will expand on a theme of self-improvement, inspired by the seasons and chakra energies. The first month of the Energy Evolution project, is brought to you by (myself) Maddie Lynch (The Vegan Yogi Traveller), Yoga Teacher and Reiki Master (with a background in Psychology and Vegan Nutrition).
January: Alignment & Balance
The first month of the year is always a special time. A time to let go of whatever isn’t serving us anymore, to leave room for new beginnings. So the first month of Energy Evolution, is all about bringing balance into our lives, allowing us to become more into alignment of who we really are. So often our lives are busy, chaotic and filled to the brim with mundane (and often stressful) life tasks, keeping our minds full and our patience low. So in order to enter the New Year with clarity, peace of mind and a sense of our goals for the year ahead, I have put together a program, which you may or may not wish to follow along to.
A Conscious New Year’s Eve Ritual:
New Year’s Eve is often celebrated with copious amounts of alcohol, a late night and blurred memories. Leaving us to enter the New Year with a hangover, a state of confusion and possibly even regret. So this year, why not switch it up, to enter the New Year on a spiritual high!
I have put together a New Year’s Eve ‘Let Go & Flow’ ritual, to help you to instead, enter the New Year with copious amounts of energy, a calm and relaxing evening, allowing you to set clear intentions. You don’t have to follow the ritual strictly, and you can adapt which parts you’d like to include and which parts you wouldn’t (perhaps you can even get creative and add some of your own ideas into it).
Getting started:
Decide whether you want to spend New Year’s Eve with a loved one, a few friends (who also want to expand their personal growth), or to spend it in your own company (there is no right or wrong-only whatever feels right for you).
Decide where to physically spend the evening, so that you can fulfill the ritual with ease. If this will be in your home, then be sure to give the room a clear out and a clean, providing a sacred space for you. (If you are in a warm country, and will spend it outside in nature, then choose somewhere where you have some privacy and won’t be disturbed by others).
Make sure you all each have a nice pen to write in, a special notebook or journal, candles and a lighter/match sticks. Also if you have any, you can bring some crystals and special objects along, and option for some dried sage to smudge (to clear away any negative energy from the space).
If you’re spending the evening with friends, maybe each person can bring a long a nice healthy dish to share. If you’re by yourself, you can make yourself a nourishing meal before beginning the ritual.
Be sure to have a journal and pen to write in (the more special your journal feels to you, the more consistently you will continue to write).
Why not make yourself a delicious nourishing final meal of the year.
If you’re lucky enough to be in a warm country, I can totally recommend doing the ritual outside in Mother Nature.
The Ritual:
Light some candles and prepare your space to spend the evening (preferably sat on the floor with cushions and blankets, helping you to stay grounded). If you have some sage or incense, you can burn it with the intention to clear away any negative or stagnant energies in the room/location.
You can begin the ritual with a short mediation, to help you to focus your attention towards your breath, allowing you to calm your mind and prepare you for the special evening ahead.
With your journal and pen, you can begin your ‘Review of 2018’. What better time to review the year than NYE, where you have an opportunity to reflect back on everything you’ve achieved, things you’ve stumbled over and what lessons you’ve learnt along the way. Feel free to do this in silence, or even with some relaxing meditation music in the background to focus your concentration. You’re welcome to download the PDF version (when you subscribe), and print out the sheet, or use it simply as a guide to write in your journal.
4. Now that you’ve reflected on your life in 2018, you hopefully by now will have a pretty clear picture, of what is no longer serving you and what is holding you back from flourishing into your greatest potential. So here is a ‘letting go’ ritual, designed to help you to establish what you need to let go of, in order to make room for the new.
5. Now that you’ve figured out what you no longer want in your life, now is time to figure out what you DO want (the fun stuff). So I have created a manifestation guide for you, where you can write down all of the things you want to bring into your life in each category. You can use it simply as a guide or a template, and even add in some more categories that are meaningful to you.
6. Once you have written everything down that you can think of to manifest in 2019; The next step is to choose 10 of these things to be your main manifestation focus. I would highly recommend writing these in pen, so that way the statements cannot be erased (this represents full commitment to what you want to bring into your life). It is important to note that when you write down these statements, you write them down in the present tense (as though they are already true). I can also recommend to bring in an element of gratitude for having already received it. This way we can program the subconscious mind, to already believe that we have it, then the universe responds to what is already aligned to our subconscious beliefs (the manifestation process).
7. Now that you have your 10 manifestation statements nicely written out; I can recommend that you keep them somewhere you can see them everyday. You might also like to read over them each night/morning, and feel the emotion of excitement and gratitude for having received them. It is also helpful in the manifestation process, to visualise yourself already having received everything you have written down.
This brings us to the end of our New Year’s Eve Ritual. After you have completed all of these tasks, you might like to spend some time in meditation, or take a nice hot bath, and allow yourself to relax, let go and be ready to receive.
January 2019
According to spiritual teacher Master Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov, it is suggested that the first 12 days of January represent the energy of the entire year ahead. For example, the second day of how we spend our January, would represent how our February will be etc. Therefore it is very important that we begin the New Year as consciously as possible, being kind and loving to ourselves and others, in order to bring us a peaceful and prosperous 2019. I can see much value in this philosophy, but why not keep this energy for the whole of January (and not just for the first 12 days).
Spend time in nature, close your eyes & remember who you truly are.
So to give us some help with this, I have created ‘31 Day’s of Self Care’ (representing a self care act for each day of January). I have designed this so you can simply choose a task which resonates with you each day, and tick it off and then try something new the next day. So you don’t have to do everything in the order that it is exactly listed. On some days, some things will be easier to do than others, so see what feels best for you each day. Also if one day you aren’t able to something on the list and you miss one, do not beat yourself up over it. The whole point of this, is to begin to cultivate more self love and acceptance (therefore being kind to yourself at all times).
I hope you enjoyed this blog and have hopefully found some inspiration, towards beginning the New Year with a positive mindset, and having a January full of self care practices. I have put together all of the materials you need in PDF form, PLUS two extra free bonuses (including a guide for conscious New Year Resolution setting and a Daily Gratitude Planner). All you have to do is subscribe using the form box below to receive your free Alignment & Balance Program.
Keep up with my journey on Instagram @TheVeganYogiTraveller
To find out a little more about who I am, and how I ended up as ‘The Vegan Yogi Traveller’, check out My Yoga Journey Video below!
Bio:
I hold a strong passion for holistic health and well-being, and I love helping people to become more in touch with their higher selves. I’m a psychology graduate, yoga instructor, reiki master and vegan nutritional adviser (as you can see I have many interests). My passions in life are travelling, teaching yoga, cooking and creating new recipes, reading and writing these blogs. I love meeting new people and connecting with those on a spiritual journey.
Love Yoga, Vegan Recipes, Homemade Beauty, Inspirational Quotes & Reading??
Well why not keep up to date with my Monthly Favourites blogs, where each month I share with you a brand new vegan recipe, a yoga flow, homemade beauty product ideas and my favourite recommend reads and quote of the month. Read my latest monthly favourites blog here!
Check out my monthly favourites blogs for delicious, healthy vegan recipes.
This post was brought to you in partnership with DIVADI. A conscious vegan shoe company. Their products are 100% vegan, sustainable and fairly produced. DIVADI sells sneakers with insoles that use colour and symbol reflexology, allowing you to tap into your vital force with every single step you take.
Photo taken from Instagram @divadLife
Yoga & Meditation Sail Croatia Retreat
Fancy sailing around the islands of Croatia with me in the Summer of 2019? Find out more about my Yoga & Meditation retreat here!
