Happy New Moment!
As we transition out of 2020 and perhaps dive head first into the new year 2021, many of us will spend time reflecting back on last year's exceptionally noteworthy events, experiences, lessons and perhaps we'll even recognize a few silver linings.
Winter, the season of hibernation, is a quiet incubation period in nature where seeds underfoot are dormant until conditions are right for germination. Likewise, many of us typically pause this time of year to contemplate what seeds we'd like to plant for the new year ahead and we create New Year's resolutions.
How do these resolutions differ from the intentions we often call to mind as we begin our formal meditation practice? Perhaps it's that resolutions are often specific, action- or goal-oriented, more about doing or striving towards an objective or achievement, while intentions are broader and related more to 'being' than 'striving'.
Intentions can be about developing a quality or characteristic we'd like to nurture or cultivate. They can include letting go of something that no longer serves us. Intentions can help us to fluidly and openly evolve towards positive change and new growth. In our formal meditation practice, our intention can serve as a North Star or guide post to re-center us when we become distracted. Unlike resolutions, intentions incorporate the 7 Foundational Attitudes of Mindfulness which include Non-Striving, Letting Go, Patience, Trust, Acceptance, Non-Judgment and Beginners Mind (for more on the Attitudes, see Jon Kabat-Zinn's ground-breaking classic work on mindfulness meditation, Full Catastrophe Living.)
New Year's is really analogous to a celebration of the 'Beginners Mind' attitude when we pause to wipe the slate clean and begin again. What if we could do this all year long? Instead of "Happy New Year" limited to January, it could be "Happy New Moment" each time we pause throughout the year to recollect and reconnect with our intentions for 2021.
In this new year ahead, may all beings be happy, healthy in both body and mind and live with a greater sense of ease,
Your CMP family
(Huge thank you to Will Heins for leading a session on this topic this morning and to Lisa Sheehan who was so inspired by that session that she wrote this blog!)
