Seeking a way to step more intentionally into this new year? Esalen’s Residential Education Coordinator Crystal Farmer shares her tips for celebrating the path ahead by acknowledging the many gifts you already have…
Goals give us direction. They put a powerful force into play on a conscious and subconscious level. But as we dream up what’s next and draw up lists of changes and to-dos for a new you, I will share the strongest magic I have discovered: which is that gratitude should come first. A friend of mine calls it closing the manifestation loop. Whatever you name it, gratitude plays a key role in the power and potential of our manifestation magic.
Why? Being in a state of gratitude allows us to quiet our egos, that voice of doubt, attachment, presumption which is silenced by a perspective of gratefulness! The first step in achieving new goals and dreams is actually acknowledging the gifts you have already received. This includes the things that went really well, but not forgetting the lessons learned (losses, changes, and challenges). The perspective we choose in how to see our past opportunities for insight and growth will also have an impact on our resilience in the challenges ahead.
Celebrate it all as a part of your path.
Step One
Creating a sense of self-acceptance to start from is a powerful foundation. All the knowledge you have gained in the last 13 moons are building blocks for your future. Acknowledge what didn’t go so well, say thanks and let it go!
Step Two
Now, with a clean slate you can more easily focus in on just a few important objectives. Along with them, consider ways to integrate self-care into your plans. Taking care of yourself allows you to be your best self, to show up for others better, and to feel more fulfilled in life.
Step Three
Just like choosing your top few priorities so you know what’s important, you need to know what you’re NOT going to focus on, too. This will help you say no to things that will distract you, hinder your progress, or muddy the waters. Clarity is important, not to dwell in the negative but to support you as you move through each day with a myriad of choices to make.
As the year progresses remember that life happens and planning to be flexible and keep an open mind can lead you through detours that may end up more worthwhile than the direct route you charted. Remember to work with what comes, maybe even around it but don’t dismay when things don’t flow exactly as envisioned. Search for the good in everything that comes! Squint if you must, but everything is better if you can see the silver lining.
Step Four
Write it down. Get some paper, maybe even some colored pencils, and write it all down – as an affirmation of you, your free will, and your ability to choose. See your life as a beautiful and sacred journey.
So as you look forward to the path you chart for your new year, remember to honor what has been. Celebrate your human experience and look back at last year thankful for all the stepping stones that already led you HERE to this perfect moment.
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Seeking a way to step more intentionally into this new year? Esalen’s Residential Education Coordinator Crystal Farmer shares her tips for celebrating the path ahead by acknowledging the many gifts you already have…
Goals give us direction. They put a powerful force into play on a conscious and subconscious level. But as we dream up what’s next and draw up lists of changes and to-dos for a new you, I will share the strongest magic I have discovered: which is that gratitude should come first. A friend of mine calls it closing the manifestation loop. Whatever you name it, gratitude plays a key role in the power and potential of our manifestation magic.
Why? Being in a state of gratitude allows us to quiet our egos, that voice of doubt, attachment, presumption which is silenced by a perspective of gratefulness! The first step in achieving new goals and dreams is actually acknowledging the gifts you have already received. This includes the things that went really well, but not forgetting the lessons learned (losses, changes, and challenges). The perspective we choose in how to see our past opportunities for insight and growth will also have an impact on our resilience in the challenges ahead.
Celebrate it all as a part of your path.
Step One
Creating a sense of self-acceptance to start from is a powerful foundation. All the knowledge you have gained in the last 13 moons are building blocks for your future. Acknowledge what didn’t go so well, say thanks and let it go!
Step Two
Now, with a clean slate you can more easily focus in on just a few important objectives. Along with them, consider ways to integrate self-care into your plans. Taking care of yourself allows you to be your best self, to show up for others better, and to feel more fulfilled in life.
Step Three
Just like choosing your top few priorities so you know what’s important, you need to know what you’re NOT going to focus on, too. This will help you say no to things that will distract you, hinder your progress, or muddy the waters. Clarity is important, not to dwell in the negative but to support you as you move through each day with a myriad of choices to make.
As the year progresses remember that life happens and planning to be flexible and keep an open mind can lead you through detours that may end up more worthwhile than the direct route you charted. Remember to work with what comes, maybe even around it but don’t dismay when things don’t flow exactly as envisioned. Search for the good in everything that comes! Squint if you must, but everything is better if you can see the silver lining.
Step Four
Write it down. Get some paper, maybe even some colored pencils, and write it all down – as an affirmation of you, your free will, and your ability to choose. See your life as a beautiful and sacred journey.
So as you look forward to the path you chart for your new year, remember to honor what has been. Celebrate your human experience and look back at last year thankful for all the stepping stones that already led you HERE to this perfect moment.
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Seeking a way to step more intentionally into this new year? Esalen’s Residential Education Coordinator Crystal Farmer shares her tips for celebrating the path ahead by acknowledging the many gifts you already have…
Goals give us direction. They put a powerful force into play on a conscious and subconscious level. But as we dream up what’s next and draw up lists of changes and to-dos for a new you, I will share the strongest magic I have discovered: which is that gratitude should come first. A friend of mine calls it closing the manifestation loop. Whatever you name it, gratitude plays a key role in the power and potential of our manifestation magic.
Why? Being in a state of gratitude allows us to quiet our egos, that voice of doubt, attachment, presumption which is silenced by a perspective of gratefulness! The first step in achieving new goals and dreams is actually acknowledging the gifts you have already received. This includes the things that went really well, but not forgetting the lessons learned (losses, changes, and challenges). The perspective we choose in how to see our past opportunities for insight and growth will also have an impact on our resilience in the challenges ahead.
Celebrate it all as a part of your path.
Step One
Creating a sense of self-acceptance to start from is a powerful foundation. All the knowledge you have gained in the last 13 moons are building blocks for your future. Acknowledge what didn’t go so well, say thanks and let it go!
Step Two
Now, with a clean slate you can more easily focus in on just a few important objectives. Along with them, consider ways to integrate self-care into your plans. Taking care of yourself allows you to be your best self, to show up for others better, and to feel more fulfilled in life.
Step Three
Just like choosing your top few priorities so you know what’s important, you need to know what you’re NOT going to focus on, too. This will help you say no to things that will distract you, hinder your progress, or muddy the waters. Clarity is important, not to dwell in the negative but to support you as you move through each day with a myriad of choices to make.
As the year progresses remember that life happens and planning to be flexible and keep an open mind can lead you through detours that may end up more worthwhile than the direct route you charted. Remember to work with what comes, maybe even around it but don’t dismay when things don’t flow exactly as envisioned. Search for the good in everything that comes! Squint if you must, but everything is better if you can see the silver lining.
Step Four
Write it down. Get some paper, maybe even some colored pencils, and write it all down – as an affirmation of you, your free will, and your ability to choose. See your life as a beautiful and sacred journey.
So as you look forward to the path you chart for your new year, remember to honor what has been. Celebrate your human experience and look back at last year thankful for all the stepping stones that already led you HERE to this perfect moment.
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
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info@esalen.org