I love rituals and have many of them.
Rituals can help you to find happiness in the smallest moments. They can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary and have the power to make your life magical.
With rituals, you can keep a healthy balance of body, mind, and soul and bring meaning to your daily routines and activities.
Here is my end-of-the-year ritual that I use to rid myself of past hurts or grievances.
End of the Year Ritual
This ritual is best performed in the days between Christmas and the New Year when the peacefulness of the holidays invites you to reflect on the past year: how it has enriched you, how it has changed you, and what you’ve learned.
It’s also an excellent time to let go of negative emotions, outdated beliefs, and grudges that have accumulated over the course of the year. Without taking time to reflect on what you want to leave behind you might jump into the New Year carrying your past hurts with you. Yet, if you consciously let go of what’s not serving you anymore, you’ll make room for new experiences in healthy and enriching ways.
Take some undisturbed time and a few pieces of paper. If you wish, prepare your space by lighting a candle or burning some incense.
On one of your papers write Hurts, fears, and other grievances I want to let go of.
On another page put People, I want to forgive and set free.
Write, Habits and beliefs I want to change, on your third page.
If there is more you need to release, simply label your last paper, Everything else I want to leave behind.
Start filling the pages with the thoughts, beliefs, regrets, and grudges that keep bothering you. Negative events you can’t forget, emotional memories that cause you pain, and embarrassing moments that unsettle you. The stuff that comes up when you are waiting at a stop light or when you have time to think.
Let it rip.
This is not an introspective exercise to examine your emotions. It merely serves to cleanse. Tune into your body and mind and let all the negative thoughts, feelings, and stories come up.
Once you run out of steam on one sheet, move on to the next. You know that you’re done when a sense of calm settles into your heart and you feel much lighter. Yeah!
Date the pages, fold them, and put them in an envelope.
Find a secure place to burn your notes. Perform a small ceremony in your garden, at the beach, or on your favorite trail. You can also light the envelope in your fireplace. As you watch the flames and observe the ashes fly away, take a deep breath and ask the universe to help you let go.
Do you have end-of-the-year rituals that you cherish and that might help others transition into the New Year? Please share them in the comments below.
Thank you for being part of my journey. May 2019 be your best year yet.
Love & light,
Karin
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P.S. Want to make 2019 the year you find your passion and personal calling?
Check out my book ALIVE: A Practical Guide to Get Out of Your Head and into Your Heart to help you.
Download the first chapter here for free!
Photo Credit: Oliver Gruener via stock.xchng
