It’s the beginning of another year and that can bring mixed emotions and thoughts for many. Sometimes a new year is seen as an opportunity to wipe the slate clean of any disappointments or perceived failures of the year just passed, or sometimes it can be seen as just another rerun of every other year, where we will complete the same tasks with the same people.

Whatever way you feel about the dawning of the new year, in this month’s piece we’re going to try to explore the concept of its actual newness. Firstly, can you try to be aware of your feelings towards the new year. If you notice you are approaching the new year with dread that it will just be the same as every other year, try to remember it is a new year, filled with new moments that you have never been in before and filled with numerous possibilities.

Quite often, our thoughts and attitude can contribute to each new moment feeling like the exact moment we just left. But it’s not – it’s new and keeping an open mind can help remind us of this simple truth; each moment is unique and contains unique possibilities.

A beginner’s mind is a mind that is willing to see everything as if for the first time. That is a huge challenge as we tend to take the routine parts of life for granted and fail to see the richness of the present moment experience. This is also a challenge as we don’t really like being beginners at anything! Not knowing what will happen next can induce anxiety. However, if you could give it a try and be open to the very real fact that you don’t actually know what the next moment holds, you might find a sense of curiosity, freedom, openness and joy you had forgotten you had in you.

Mindfulness Exercise

The next time you see somebody you know, ask yourself are you seeing this person as they really are or are you only seeing them through the veil of your own thoughts and feelings about them? Try it with your siblings, your partner, friends and even with your dog or cat. Then try it with problems when they arise. Are you seeing the problem or your thoughts about having a problem? An open, beginner’s mind allows us to be receptive to new possibilities and prevents us from getting stuck in the rut of our own expertise, which often thinks it knows more than it actually does.

I love this quote from Jon Kabat Zinn in Full Catastrophe Living: “Imagine if you brought that beginner’s mind to your children and instead of seeing them through the lens of your expectation of them, you saw them as they really are – their beauty and the miracle of them as children. Imagine how wonderful that would be for you and for them also.”

Physical Exercise

Breathing mindfully is a really simple yet powerful exercise. You can do it anywhere – standing, sitting, kneeling or lying down. It is just simply pausing where you are and noticing your breath. That is it.

The difficulty initially is trying to keep your attention on your breath. You will find your mind wandering almost immediately at the beginning, but it’s important you do not get disillusioned by that. Our minds wander all the time and each time you notice your mind has wandered away from the breath, just gently but firmly redirect it back.

I always recommend a two-minute interval of noticing the breath a few times a day to begin with. Before you know it, you will automatically begin to notice your breath more often and this is a really good thing for your overall wellbeing. Our breath is so powerful – it is the link that unites body to thoughts.

Whenever your thoughts spiral out of control, you can use your breath as a means to take hold of your thoughts and mind again, grounding yourself in the present moment, which is truly the only place where your life exists.

Additionally, keeping your attention on your breath ensures you are fully present in each moment of your life, enabling you to be better able to respond to events in your life rather than simply reacting.

Something To Ponder

I know January traditionally brings resolutions, things to definitely do or not do! Lose weight, learn a new language, join a gym, write a book, run a marathon etc.

When you spend some time thinking about the nature of resolutions, it becomes very apparent that the thinking behind them infers that the new year needs a new you – the implication being that there is something wrong with the current you. I do not subscribe to this at all. Remember your beginner’s mind – are you really seeing you as you truly are or are you seeing yourself through the veil of your thoughts, disappointments, criticism of yourself?

I often think about happiness and for me happiness is allowing yourself to be yourself. A simplistic notion I know, but it really takes a lot of courage to show your true self. The first person you need to show up to is yourself and accept yourself as you currently are, even if there are things you are not necessarily happy with. But I have no doubt there are also things you are happy with, and you need to give them as much airplay as the things you dislike about yourself.

For 2017, I invite you to begin accepting the current you and from there grow into the best version of yourself. To help you do this, I suggest you set an intention rather than a resolution. An intention is a positive wish you have for yourself and we always set an intention by saying it silently three times and in the present tense.

If I’m unhappy with myself in some way, I could set my intention to be “I am more accepting of myself” or perhaps “I am only human and I am doing my absolute best”. Meet yourself where you are (not where you wish you were) and with kind, friendly, loving, self-directed attention, move forward into 2017 with grace, curiosity and a sense of adventure. Enjoy the wonder of your life, it will benefit you and it will benefit everyone you surround yourself with. CL

For further information, visit www.croiyoga.ie. For more practical mindfulness exercises, visit Catherine Callaghan Yoga on YouTube.