Welcome to the new year! This time always evokes the excitement of a new start. After all the holiday celebrations, it’s time to put the party hat down and get to business. That is, getting serious with creating a life you love. The new year presents a good opportunity to identify goals and reconnecting with your values and self-identity. Read on for some goal setting and reflection tips, plus, some yoga poses to try.
Before we dive in, remember that you can start and recommit to your goals anytime. Each day and every moment is new. You can let go of what happened a year ago, a month ago, a week ago, yesterday and even just moments ago. We don’t just get a restart in January. We get a refresh whenever we say so. That choice is yours anytime.
What is possible for you this year?
This is a big question! Find more clarity by envisioning all the things that you want this year. What does a life you love looks like?
Rather than resolutions, identify your goals, your aspirations, all that you want, even those that seem so unattainable, name all of them! Especially the ones that you have been afraid to go after.
Don’t hold back. This is a safe space and a judgment-free zone that you owe to yourself. Don’t worry about the “how” for now. Identifying what you want comes first then the inspired action, plan or opportunity will follow when the time is right.
“People with goals succeed because they know where they’re going.”
— Earl Nightingale
Some people like to make vision boards which can be really fun. If you’re not so paper crafty, you can make a digital board instead. Not a visual person? Do you prefer simplicity? If so, you can just write a list on paper or by using the notes app on your phone.
I like to keep things easy so I make a list on my phone every year. I have simple titles for my notes like 2022 Goals, 2023 Goals and so on. It’s convenient, easily searchable and accessible anytime I want to look them up. My lists may be small and simple but my goals are anything but! I have written some incredible goals that have shown up in the most surprising ways.
Nothing is more fun than seeing your dreams manifest into reality. Remember, the medium doesn’t matter, it’s all about the excitement and intention that you put forth into it!
A life you love in the now
Identifying what’s possible is also as important as appreciating who you already are. Yes, you get to envision what more is there but you should also recognize what is here already.
Here are some questions for reflection. Write your answers down.
- What do you love to do that you have already been doing?
- What do you already have in your life that you’re proud of?
- Which experiences and memories do you cherish the most?
- Which relationships and connections that you already have make your heart happy?
Acknowledging those things that you’ve already cultivated in your life reinforces your identity and puts you in a healthy headspace. It’s likely that you have already accomplished a lot more than you give yourself credit for. “Looking back on where you came from can give you a sense of strength in truly understanding where you can go, providing optimism for the future,” according to the article The Importance of Self Appreciation.
After you answer the questions above, do a quick meditation of appreciation. Close your eyes, hold those objects and people close to your heart as you feel love and gratitude towards them. You attracted them in your life for a reason. They showed up for you because of your own capacity to give and receive. You have that light within you and you can keep nurturing that light to create and attract more of what truly makes you happy.
Committing to your life design
No one else gets to define your life but you. You get to create it, interpret it and live it. Make sure you do it deliberately. Commit to your goals and values but remember that life is like a working draft of a document. It never gets done until your last breath. You can make edits and revisions anytime it makes sense for you. Make peace with where and who you are now and only then, can you keep moving forward with complete openness.
Yoga for openness
Living the life you love requires an open mind and heart. Try these gentle heart opening poses to help release resistance in the body. By opening spaces within the chest, shoulders, back and hips, we can let go of tension and open ourselves up to create space and acceptance for who we already are as well as for who we want to become.
Butterfly | Baddha Konasana
Butterfly or bound angle is a hip opener that improves hip mobility and stretches the inner thighs. Practice butterfly to gently open the hips and to prepare for deeper hip opening poses.
Sanskrit: Baddha Konasana
Drishti: eyes closed
Counterpose: dandasana, downward facing dog
Materials
- Yoga mat
- Folded blankets (optional)
Instructions
- Start from a seated position and bring the soles of your feet together, close to your pelvis. Let the knees to fall out to the sides. Ground your sitting bones and lengthen your spine.
- Hold onto the outsides of your feet as you press the soles of your feet towards each other.
- Option to fold forward from the hips, keeping your spine long and shoulders away from the ears. Stay for 3 to 5 breathes or more. To come out, sit up slowly, lift the knees and straighten both legs.
Notes
Modifications: Place folded blankets under the knees for support.
Preparatory poses: dandasana, tree, cat and cow, downward facing dog
Follow-up poses: hero, goddess, uttanasana
Bhujangasana | Cobra
Cobra is a gentle back bend that opens the chest, shoulders and throat. It helps improve posture and increase spinal flexibility. It's also a great way to gently strengthen the lower back, shoulders and legs.
Sanskrit: Bhujangasana
Drishti: forward or upward
Counterpose: child's pose or lying on belly
Materials
- Yoga mat
Instructions
- Lie on your belly with feet pointing straight back and legs close together.
- Inhale and bring your forehead to the floor. Bend your elbows and place palms down near your ribs.
- Exhale and press down with your hands as you lift up the chest. Draw the shoulder blades back as you start to straighten the arms just enough to lift the chest off the floor. Maintain a slight bend in the arms
- Keep your neck long as you lengthen from the waistline to the armpits.
- Hold for a few breaths or for as long as you feel comfortable.
Notes
Modification: For a gentle variation, try sphinx pose by keeping your forearms on the floor.
Preparatory poses: cat and cow, child's pose
Follow-up poses: child's pose, downward dog
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana | Upward Facing Dog
Upward facing dog (updog for short) is a gentle back bend that activates the arms, shoulders and legs. This pose also strengthens the wrists, torso and glutes. Practicing updog helps to energize the mind and improve focus.
Sanskrit: Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Drishti: forward or upward
Counterpose: child's pose or downward facing dog
Materials
- Yoga mat
Instructions
- Lie on your belly.
- Bend your arms and slide palms back so that arms are perpendicular to the floor. Bring your legs close together with your feet pointing straight back. Inhale and lift up shoulders up and away from the mat, draw the shoulder blades more onto your back.
- Exhale and press your hands down as you lift the chest up, straightening the arms. Engage and lift legs off the floor, keeping the tops of feet pressing down. Keep shoulders away from your ears.
- Keep opening the chest as you slide your body and legs more forward between your hands. Curl the neck to look up.
- Hold for a few breaths or for as long as you feel comfortable. Slowly bring the hips back to downward facing dog or simply lower down to the floor.
Notes
Modification: For a gentle variation, look forward instead of up and keep your thighs on the floor.
Preparatory poses: cat and cow, child's pose, sphinx
Follow-up poses: child's pose, downward dog
Downward Facing Dog | Adho Mukha Svanasana
Downward facing dog is an energizing pose that strengthens the arms, legs and torso. It also stretches the palms, chest, back, hamstrings, calves and feet.
Sanskrit: adho mukha svanasana
Drishti: at the floor or between your feet
Counterpose: child's pose
Materials
- yoga mat
Instructions
- Start from table top position, with hands and knees on your mat.
- Inhale lift and roll back your hips as you lengthen your back, keeping the arms straight, and palms firmly rooted to the earth.
- Exhale straighten your legs, pressing your thigh bones back into your hamstrings. Root from your tailbone down through your legs to press heels down toward the floor.
- Hold for a few breaths.
Notes
Variations: for a gentle variation, keep knees bent and your heels off the floor. Want more challenge? Raise one leg up in the air for three-legged dog. Don't forget to repeat the other side.
Preparatory poses: mountain, forward fold, halfway lift
Follow-up poses: child's pose, three legged dog, chaturanga
Balasana | Child's Pose
Child's pose is a calming asana that opens the pelvic floor, hips and back. It also stretches the ankles, knees and hips.
Sanskrit: Balasana
Drishti: eyes closed
Materials
- Yoga mat
Instructions
- Sit on your heels and lengthen your spine.
- Slowly bow down forward as you place your chest on your thighs. Bring both arms down on the side with the back of the hands on the ground. Rest your forehead on the mat and soften your face.
- For an extra stretch, bring your arms forward and relax them on the floor with palms down.
- Hold for as long as you feel comfortable.
Notes
Modification: You can also use a block or bolster under the forehead for extra support.
Preparatory poses: easy pose, cobra, sphinx
Follow-up poses: downward facing dog