What's your word?
This year, a teacher of mine made a suggestion to me that I want to pass along to you, because it's made for such a grounding, empowering and nurturing way to kickstart the year.
The invitation is this; to infuse ourselves and the new year with intention, select a word, just one word, that embodies something you most deeply and truly want to cultivate.
When this invitation was first made to me, I found it so hard to choose just one. I mean I certainly want to live in peace, joy, compassion, acceptance, willingness, but not only was it a challenge to pick any one of those words, none of the words that came to mind really hit the spot. That was until MY word finally occurred to me.
My word is FERTILE.
I choose to be fertile.
This has become my daily mantra and meditation for the past week and it feels wonderful to sit each morning, using the added tool of havening touch (gently, lovingly and repeatedly stroking down my arms from my shoulders to the palms of my hands and down my face from my forehead to my chin) while chanting 'I choose to be fertile' 10-20 times.
I'm not pregnant YET, but I do feel like I'm laying down the soil for my creative life force to flourish with each stroke and repetition of this mantra. And for me it feels so all encompassing, choosing a fertile body, a fertile womb, a fertile mind, a fertile heart.
I think that's what happens when the word hits. It fits everywhere.
In the coming year I will share more about havening with you as I am nearing the end of my certification process. Havening is a psycho-sensory healing modality that has both the power to release trauma and other distressing emotional experiences as well as affirm the feelings and states of being we most want to cultivate.
In this new year I invite you into this powerful daily practice. To start, I encourage the touch component, I mean it's simple enough:
Gently, lovingly and repeatedly stroke down your arms from your shoulders to the palms of your hands (starting like you're going to give yourself a hug).
Alternate with several strokes down your face from your forehead, over your cheeks to your chin. It helps to imagine the touch as that of a loving caregiver.
And then choose your word. Maybe it'll occur to you right away. You might already know what it is! Maybe you'll need a few moments of quiet meditation to find it, or like me, it might just pop out at you randomly during your day while busying yourself with something entirely unrelated.
Speak your word in the format, "I choose to be...." and count down from 10 or 20.
"10, "I choose to be...
9, I choose to be...
8, I choose to be...", etc.
It was suggested to me to repeat this practice daily until the end of the month. Sort of like planting a seed for the new year. Although I imagine there'd be no harm in continuing this practice into February, but please if you decide to try this practice, let us know your word and how it goes in the comments. Perhaps your word will resonate for someone else or at the very least there is power in making a public declaration.
Now speaking of being fertile, I have many projects in the works, especially for doulas. In the coming months keep your eyes out for an exciting new offer born out of my Sustainable Doula Mentorship program. Combining my great passions for self-care and doula life, The Sustainable Doulas Guide to Self-Care is coming soon, so stay tuned!
In the meanwhile registrations are open for the following upcoming workshops and classes:
Comforting Touch for Doulas NYC (3 spots available) - February 3rd
Comforting Touch for Babies - 4 week series starts on Thursday February 7th
My Annual Valentine's Day Kick-@$$ Couples Massage Class - February 14th
See you soon and happy new year!
Yiska
