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It’s certainly a special time of year and the air is buzzing with energy and anticipation.  The feeling of ‘newness’ inspires us to get rid of old stagnant energy whether it’s in our bodies, our GI tracts, our homes and in our relationships.  While resolutions are famously fickle, it’s a great time to harness this momentum to elevate our energy, our life-force, and continue towards the path of self-improvement.  With that in mind, I’d love to focus more on rituals rather than resolutions.  Many coaches in the health sphere have shifted the dialogue to rituals rather than resolutions as the cornerstones to improving health, vitality and happiness.  Our joyfulness and our experience of life are affected by our health so without further ado, let’s look at some energy improving rituals we can incorporate going forward into a brighter future.

For those of us that just love to reset, it’s a powerful time to write down your goals and intentions for the new year.  Keep them where you can see them, like your dressing – or bedside table, to keep the goal energetically in your space.  Make sure you set realistic and tangible goals rather than lofty resolutions that often fail by mid January.  Having that paper nearby allows you to check in regularly and keep yourself on track.  Start small and build from there as you conquer them. For example, instead of saying, “I will lose those ten pounds”, start with: I will not eat breakfast until I truly feel hunger (even if its breakfast time), and then I will start with some warm water and lemon. Or, instead of, “I will land an amazing new job in media”, try: I will develop my portfolio and attend networking events in the field.  Large and lofty resolutions lack accountability, action steps and often feel insurmountable before you even begin to tackle them.

Our environment where we spend the most time will affect our mood, energy and health.  Take a look at your space whether it’s your office or home, and identify any blocks to the energetic flow. Have you kept some old furniture or books piled up against a wall?  Are you guilty of hoarding the packaging from your purchases? Now might be a great time to ditch the gift wrapping, bags and boxes you accumulated during the festive season and most likely also before.  Notice how it affects the energy flow in your home and also in your body. What surrounds us becomes part of us. Anything stacked, any piles, old mail, vouchers piled up on the counters of the kitchen (they probably expired right?) goes.  Now is the time of year to give away and throw out as much as you can.  Promise you’ll feel the energetic shift immediately.  It’s an amazing practice to do after you meditate or have a quiet moment, to go to each room and notice the energy.  You’ll be surprised how intuitively you’ll know what to do and what to remove.  Spend extra attention in the kitchen, which old dishes do you not eat off anymore?  Expired packages and food you don’t plan on eating?  A real energy clearing happens with that release.

There is not one thing that is not part of that matrix of energy that surrounds us.  Overhauling your closet is also crucial to keeping your vibes high.  How you dress and how you approach things are part of how you show up as a person in life.  Tell yourself you’re only going to keep around the things that you love the most because you deserve to wear clothes that make you feel great and that you love.  Don’t settle for outfits that don’t feel comfortable to you, that you got on sale but weren’t totally in love with, or even items that you used to like but don’t resonate with your style anymore.  You deserve to feel great every day.  It’s a theme that runs through your life and will affect also the way you eat, relationships and your energy.  Go through your closet, give away what you don’t love anymore and lighten the energetic load.  All you will see in your closet after the purge will be your favorite items that make you feel good in your body.  In turn, this will influence your food choices too since its well known that we tend to eat healthier when we feel good in our body.

On the topic of shedding, let’s talk old emotions.  You can support this practice by sitting and feeling the emotions you might have had over the year.  Really reflect on the year and allow yourself to feel any hurt, disappointment or anger that may have come up with work, friends or family members.  It might help to journal some of these thoughts.  When you’re done, also take some time to express gratitude for the year and for your health which is more important than ever as this year has highlighted to us.  This balanced review of the year is a great way to take stock and also to move on into the new year with an energetically clean slate.

Because most of our balance in the body starts from our gut, it’s a great time to up your fiber and probiotics.  Fiber regulates the microbiome and helps reduce inflammation, while probiotics keep the body fortified, balanced and strong so you can feel more resilient emotionally. Start your day with a light easily digestible breakfast like fruit, smoothies or oatmeal if you crave warmth in the morning.  You’re setting yourself up energetically for the rest of the day by choosing clean, vitamin loaded breakfast foods rather than overloading your digestive system with processed cereals, dairy and fried foods.  Make it a ritual for lunch to be built around vegetables, and only with a side of protein.  So, protein is not the main part of the meal, fiber is. That could mean a nice vegetable soup or baked sweet potatoes and other mixed veggies if you really crave a cooked lunch.  It could also be a huge colorful salad topped with chicken, tuna or avocado.  Salads offer easily digestible amino acids, chlorophyll and minerals that keep the body alkaline and functioning optimally.  I promise you’ll avoid the 3pm slump once you start incorporating more living, fiber-full foods into your daily diet.

When we’re working on shedding old emotions and letting go of the past, our liver is said to be the organ that processes emotions.  Incorporating daily twists seated or lying down helps support your liver, and massages the internal organs. It’s a great daily practice to squeeze out any physical, emotional and energetic stagnation.  Breathe and remind yourself that you are letting go of any emotional and energetic blocks as you twist.  Remember to do twists on an empty stomach as they actually help with digestion when done before meals.  To really boost that liver cleansing energy, make it a routine to have the juice of one full lemon per day, squeezed into your tea or warm water. Lemons thin the bile and support the fat-burning processes of the body.

Now, the part you were dreading.  No one is going to force you to give up your candy, chocolate addiction, french fries and lazy night pizzas.  It’s all about balance and life is to be enjoyed fully. But, if there is one thing that you can and really should bid a farewell to in 2021, that will give you a multitude of benefits for your skin, health, digestive function and basically every cell in your body- it’s those fizzy drinks.  You will immediately start to ditch those toxins and stubborn pounds, improve your oral health and feel a million times better.  Soda has been hailed as one of, if not the worst foods for our health, and it is so replaceable. They’re chemically loaded with endocrine and nervous system disrupters, are highly addictive, and add tons of empty calories.  Liquid calories are never worth it when it comes to unhealthy beverages and there are so many better options available.  A homemade iced tea, kombucha if you crave the fizz, coconut water or even homemade juices and smoothies full of fiber and minerals.  Getting through the first few days may be tough but when you start to (quickly) see the improvements in your health, skin and energy, we think it’s a sacrifice worth making.  Did I mention you can keep the chocolate and fries from time to time?

Whatever your goals might be for the new year, evolve on your unique path whether it will feature a healthier diet, starting yoga, meditation or improving relationships.  Remember that everything you really need is already within.  Strengthen yourself, align to yourself and the things outside that you want will find their way to you.  It’s an exciting time of the year, it’s a new beginning so really enjoy the new year and create the energy you want to pour forth in abundance into the next year.