2021 - New Year?
What does the “New Year” mean? For many, this period of change from the “old” to the “new” can be rejuvenating, restorative, or maybe even life giving. But for some, this process of turning over a “new leaf” is simply a continuation of daily life. I think there is a lot of pressure surrounding the New Year that is wrapped in this idea that you “need” to create something entirely new and transformative for yourself. But y’all, I want to remind you that you are enough.
Especially coming out of a year of great difficulty and challenge, please remember that you are enough.
One beautiful way to remember your strength and grace is the simple power of reflection-- this could be physical or emotional reflection. In a world that has become numb to the healing power of solitude, there is great beauty to be found in self-reflection. When we intentionally choose to look within ourselves and find a deeper sense of purpose and love, not only are we granting ourselves a more genuine form of grace, but the peace that this internal work brings restores the soul in ways that no societal form of healing can bring. There is a deeper discipline that we gain from locking eyes with ourselves in the mirror, by not looking away from our reflection, and finally, allowing ourselves to feel. In my experience, the feelings that I was running and hiding from in 2020 were actually the ones that brought me the deepest sense of peace and purpose once I was able to look myself dead in the eye and sit with these troubling thoughts.
This past year, I grappled a lot with what to feel. As a young adult trying to navigate through college, the sheer amount of noise and opinions that were being displayed in the media, being told to me by my friends and family, or even being written by myself became this nauseating pressure of picking and choosing what and who to trust. Stillness and rest became such foreign practices to me. I wish I could say that “yoga saved me… and it just took discipline to sit under the heated lamps and breathe through the pain”, but even that isn’t the complete truth. This year brought heavy sobs, heartaches, anxiety attacks, social dilemmas, and genuine concern for the future of humanity--and those were just my battles!!! Together, we encountered a global health crisis, the disgust of systemic racism that still runs deep in our subtle but suppressive hierarchies, social isolation through the screens on our phones and computers, and the great polarization between two political parties that have fractured a nation which people still define as “united”.
That was a lot, folks. There was a lot to feel and experience as our bodies moved through 2020. But we made it here, and we are still breathing through the next moment. At the end of the day, you are the only person who knows yourself best. And if 2020 has taught me anything, it’s that the love that you create and exude for yourself is greater than the hate and pressure that others daunt over you.
Telling yourself that you are enough and believing in this mantra are two different things. Whether you celebrate the tradition of creating and following new year’s resolutions or not, I invite you to spend more time in deeper reflection in the coming weeks. I know I still have a lot to learn from my own deep, cognitive “dives”, but in staying committed to my personal practice, I know that I have the power to dismiss all external pressures trying to mold me into someone that I’m not. As 2020 comes to a close, I genuinely feel my past shedding off with every asana; I’m leaving behind something new and beautiful for me to appreciate and move through.
Things will not serve you in life. Grant yourself the peace and grace to leave these things behind as time goes by. Your soul and being is stronger and more powerful than you might think. <3
Sending you lots of love today and every day. Happy New Year!
Sarah Townsend is a student at the University of South Florida, pursuing her undergraduate degree in elementary education. She is from Chicago, IL, and when she is not at the studio or studying for classes, Sarah enjoys cooking vegan food, going for long runs or bike rides, and spending time outside in the sunshine with her friends and family! Her main professional focus upon graduation is to go into urban education reform. She is also interested in discussions around racial and gender inequities; it is her hope to continue with this social justice work in graduate school abroad.
