Happy New You!

Ah - January. We can all take in and release a deep breath, having made it through the activity of the holidays and wrapped up 2013. As testament to the fabulous holiday busyness and subsequent desire for "down time," this eNewsletter is late! Pardon me for that; I took a retreat that was both fulfilling and renewing...

Although we are still in mid Winter, the Solstice is behind us. Our days are growing longer and warmer overall, beginning to reach tentatively toward Spring. January is the perfect month to begin shifting from planning and preparation into action.

Now is the time to get clear about your "seeds" of intent for the year (and beyond if you choose), and to determine what preparation is still needed to make their future expression as likely as possible. This month you can begin (energetically) sowing your seeds into the soils of your life. There they will incubate until it is the perfect moment for them to break forth into the Sunlight!

There are many ways to change your life and even to create a whole new one for yourself if you want to. Rather then expending your energy on resolutions (which often amount to little more than an annual "to do" list), follow these simple steps to get started on a Happy New You!

• Step 1: Get clear about what you want. Make a list of all your "seeds" (intentions, ideas, dreams, wishes, projects, etc.) and decide which ones you are really ready to plant and grow into your life. Not all your seeds have to be planted this year; feel free to set some aside for another time. Consider too that you may plant seeds now for things you imagine in future years. Those seeds will rest in the loving soils of your Being until their time has come.
• Step 2: Meditate on the seeds you select for this year's life crop. Meditation is a great way to connect with the feeling of having what you want to bring into your life. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, slow your breath, get still and imagine how it will feel to have the thing - how might you and your life change or be different from what they are now? Do you feel full, happy, safe, empowered, excited, relieved, etc?? Is your life richer, more active, more restful, more free? These are the kinds of feelings to invoke as you imagine having your intentions already met. Use your strongest sensory skills to make your imaginings as real and visceral as possible.
• Step 3: Make a Vision Board. Vision Boards are a powerful way to take things in your inner Being to a physical level. They are an outward expression of your internal imaginings and energy. Your Vision Board can look however you want it to and can be made of any materials you choose. I use images and words collected from magazines, cards and catalogs glued onto a salvaged piece of cardboard. Your Board can be one dimensional or multi-dimensional; it can be one panel or several. It can contain a single image or word, or several. Be creative and open, and most of all, have FUN!
• Step 4: Make it real. Move through your life with awareness of your intentions and what you can do now to support them. Walk around each day with the sense of your intentions growing and manifesting before your eyes. Notice what arises in your life that may be linked to them in some way. Pay close attention to any sign of support that crosses your path during the day as well as in your dreams. Perhaps someone unexpected calls who has a skill you need. Perhaps you find yourself in conversation with someone who inspires you around your intentions or even offers to help you in some way. Maybe clarity or direction comes in a dream. Support can show up in magical and unimagined ways. Consciously accept that support by saying "YES!" to it, and open yourself to receive...

Let Your Light Shine!!

December brings us Winter Solstice - the longest night of the year and for some, the true New Year's Eve - as the next day starts the journey into growing days and increasing light. Until the Solstice, cold Winter days and long, crisp nights call us inside, not only to stoke the fires of our hearths but also the fires in our hearts.

This month, we enter a time of introspection, reflection and integration. We reflect on our past and use the lessons we find there to make plans for our future. What does your deepest heart long for and how can you stoke the fires that burn there?

December's energy is aligned with organizing and readying yourself for what's next, even if you can't see it clearly. What preparation is needed to move toward your heart's desires? Where is growth needed? Surrender? Patience? Trust? Courage? Action? How can you best prepare yourself to be the person you want to be in the future? What skills do you need to sharpen? Are there foundational pieces to your dream that need shoring up so you can go the distance? These are questions to reflect on and tend to this month.

Despite today's very commercialized Christmas season, December is an opportunity to honor our inherent innocence and to celebrate the birth of our own light. Each one of us has a gift to offer the world, and we are the only ones who can bring that gift forward in our unique way. No one is excluded from owning the Sacred Light they bring forward.

These tips can help you make good use of December's opportunities:

• Shift your gift. Consider shifting away from commercial gifting and instead, create gifts that nourish the heart and spirit of your loved ones and others in ways that make the world a better place, such as: make donations to worthy world causes; make something homemade like art, ornaments or body products; write loved ones a special letter; take on a project to help someone; volunteer time to those in need; or just offer to be there for someone who is lonely.

• Learn from your year's harvest. Reflect on what worked and what did not. Release what feels complete or no longer serves and use it as fuel for your future successes, just as the fallen leaves become a warm protective blanket of nourishment for the tree roots beneath the ground.

• Notice your inner fire light. Does it feel strong or weak? What does it need to burn more evenly? What will sustain it through time? Make plans to bring this balance into your life.

• Honor your inner light. Use the colorful lights of the season as reminders that your inner light shines on, despite any darkness around you. All you have to do is allow it. Light a special candle in the evening and take a moment each night to sit and fill your heart with gratitude for the unique contributions of your inner light to this world.

Happy Holidays to you!