By JACCI GRUNINGER MS, C-IAYT, ERYT500
Los Alamos
“Winter is a subtle nudge to remind us to reflect on our lives. Though we are surrounded by the chill in the air, it is also an exercise in cleansing. With each snowfall, we are given a clean slate with the innocence and beauty the white powder brings.” –Mark A. Leon
In my last column, I suggested taking some time to think about YOUR 2021. Today, I want you to jump forward to 2022 and before it actually arrives, consider your hopes, dreams and desires for the new year. What will make it YOUR best year? And, of course, I have a suggestion.
Choose a WORD to take you through 2022.
Last year my word was Return. I made a good sized sign and put it on my office wall as a reminder.
This year my word is Reflect.
Reflect works so well with the glide into winter and I want to carry it with me all year in both my personal and professional relationships. (I will be sharing with you other words this year as I intend to also choose a monthly word to consider and reflect on.)
Reflection is examining your thoughts and feelings and considering what they mean. It’s not necessarily answering a question, but that can be part of the process. I love these two Webster definitions of reflection:
- The throwing back by a body or surface of light, heat, or sound without absorbing it; and
- Serious thought or consideration.
According to research from Queens University in Canada, the average person has more than 6,000 thoughts a day and when you move from thought to thought you create something called a thought worm that can be picked up on a brain scan! Other research from the National Science Foundation says we can have 15,000-50,000 thoughts a day and 80 percent of them are negative.
No matter which number you believe, that’s a lot of thoughts. No wonder I’m so tired.
Taking time daily for reflection can help you shift the negative to the positive and help you gain insight into yourself.
When we reflect and pay attention we can be more focused and grow. When you do reflection work, try using “what” questions rather than “why” questions to get started.
What surprised you today?
What did you learn today?
What caught your attention today?
What’s the smallest sense you notice in your body right now?
One of my goals is to reflect the multitude of positives that happen in my day, week and month. Kind of like gratitude but different. Sometimes I think we get too caught up with what isn’t going right and we forget to realize how much of our day, week, month, year did go right.
So, choose a word. Pick something meaningful to you. (And, if you want, leave your word in the comments).
Here’s to a 2022 filled with all the ups and downs that come with being human and allowing ourselves to be present to them all.
Jacci Gruninger is a Certified Yoga Therapist and Thai Yoga Massage Therapist. She has been teaching for over two decades and spent 12 of those years training yoga teachers for the Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts. She regularly helps clients manage the ups and downs of life with yoga, meditation, breathwork and bodywork. Her Yoga Therapy Center is at 190 Central Park Square #212. For her in person and online teaching schedule and information on her other services, visit her website at www.yogawithjacci.com. BE Well and BE Inspired.