Mindful Living for Showing Up and Resolution Reset

The month of January always seems to be filled with numerous suggestions and actions about what to add in to one’s life for the new year. I’m noting here at the start of 2025, there seems to be even more suggestions for change, for adding in some things and eliminating others, individually and collectively. It’s been a bit overwhelming. I am appreciating resting in Mary Oliver’s Poem of The One World and remembering “of this the one world we all belong to where everything sooner or later is a part of everything else”. The remainder of this blog is dedicated to establishing how I will choose to show up in the days, weeks and present moments of 2025. I hope these words and thoughts will help you harvest something for yourself as we all navigate whatever the new year is bringing.

My daily routine begins with quiet movement and meditation time and then joining my partner for coffee, watching some of the morning news shows. At the beginning of this month, I noted all the suggestions encouraging reflection and setting of New Year’s resolutions. There seemed to be an over focus on what to do/not to do/add in/eliminate/etc. I was passively attending to the suggestions and expert interviews. Now, at the end of January, here’s another morning show segment entitled: Resolution Revisit. As I listened, I noted that, while there was great advice about setting goals, exploring the “why”, motivation and habit changes, in my opinion, the practices of mindful awareness are a vital part of any additions and/or changes to our daily routines. First and foremost, starting each day with so much focus on “doing” can unsettle the nervous system and interfere with my attention and intentions. I choose to show up with awareness. It is beneficial for me to show up at the beginning of the day with a practice of quiet contemplation, meditation, and movement. I adjust the time I spend in my morning practices accordingly. My morning practice allows me to start the day more centered and focused. Its also establishing that base that I can come back to again and again, as needed, throughout the day.

We can develop an awareness practice through pausing and focusing our attention on the present moment, noting our physical, emotional and thought states. Mindfulness and meditation practices teach us that when we are practicing awareness of the present moment, both interpersonally and intra-personally, we are better equipped to make choices about what’s nourishing, helpful and called for in given moments of our lives. Showing up for myself regularly allows me to show up for others in meaningful and intentional ways.

Choosing to show up with awareness requires courage, creativity, compassion, patience and some flexibility. Showing up for regular mindfulness and meditation practice cultivates creativity, compassion and concentration. Regularly attending to attention and intentions with curiosity and openness, strengthens states of continual mindful awareness. Engaging in practices like basic seated practices, focusing practices, mindful eating, mindful walking, mindful stretching/movement and body scan practices build and strengthen awareness. How and when I show up to engage in these practices can be flexible. I benefit from allocating specific time in the morning. I benefit from using brief pauses and natural occurrences for pausing throughout the day to attend to my awareness—e.g. when I begin a meal, start a new task, when I’m transitioning from point A to point B (in the car, along a hallway or traversing steps). Of course, when available, showing up in nature for a quiet seated practice or for a physically active practice consistently contributes to my overall health and well-being.

If you are someone who likes New Year’s resolutions, here is some food for thought. How are you regularly checking in with yourself and evaluating your internal weather system and what’s truly called for? Reflection, goal and intention setting can be very useful in our lives; however, if we’re not working from a place of authentic self-reflection, we may be setting ourselves up for negative self-judgement and unnecessary difficulty. If you are bringing compassionate attention and seamless awareness to what’s actually happening moment to moment, my guess is that showing up in ways that support your values, what’s meaningful for you and in ways you choose, becomes just a little more accessible.

As I spend time contemplating the new year and how I want to show up, I have some things in the works for additional opportunities to practice.

o   At the end of March, I will be offering Mindfulness for Beginners (and those who desire to Begin Again) at a local office in Hanover. If this 3-session course might be of interest to you, please keep an eye on the events page for updates. More information will be provided soon.

o   Mindfulness at EUCC will increase meetings/month in 2025. This is a growing and vibrant group of people who appreciate practicing together. We will meet on the first and third Sunday of each month, beginning in March. February’s meeting is this Sunday, Feb 2nd in person or via Zoom at 6pm, ET.

               RSVP for Zoom link: (https://www.mindfulnessandmotion.com/events).

Consider contacting me for individual mentorship to start 2025 off with intentional practice: (https://www.mindfulnessandmotion.com/general-6). Mentoring can assist you in exploring practices that contribute to health and well-being and grow life goals.

Wishing you well as you pause, explore and practice awareness. Remember Mary Oliver’s words about “the one world we all belong to”. Let this influence how you show up in 2025,

Karen