Each year comes with 12 gifts that we know we are going to have no matter that. These are 12 distinct parcels of time - the 12 months. I am giving myself 12 special gifts each month.
In January, i will give myself breath. I will begin the year by concentrating on my breathing. It is a cold time of year and my breath tends to become short and inadequate. I will begin the year with good health for my lungs. This will include pranayam of course, but even just breathing each breath fully and consciously. Since breath will be the focus, i will read about breathing, correct practices and will self educate myself about something basic like breathing that we never really do properly. I promise myself full breaths with January.
With February i will gift myself self-discipline. The cold weather will be waning - time to get back in shape. I gift myself self-discipline in meditation, pranayam, yoga practice, exercise, eating, rest and writing. This will be a month of routines and timings, weighing and measuring, no sweets and savouries, no coffee. Its a good time to get the weighty issues out of the way early in the year! I hope to remain healthy and active in an altogether beneficial way.
With March i wish for a shift in focus to being compassionate. i hope to focus my energies a little bit outside to understand the pain of others around me and to do whatever i can. It could mean being compassionate by always seeing the other point of view, be it the kids, my husband, the help in the house and spreading the circle outward. The happiness of one's being needs to radiate outward and touch other lives. By gifting myself the feeling of compassion i hope to give it sharper focus and importance.
April i pray will be about the family and travel. It will be about sharing space and time during spring break at the beginning of the month. I hope we can create and file away some good times together. It will be a time for energizing, revving up, firing on all cylinders, living life to the max, letting go, having fun, being yourself, letting others be themselves, respecting, loving and caring.
May will bring the gift of grounding. I hope to get back to ground without a thud. I hope to practice always being aware of the way my feet touch the ground. In May i seek ground - going back to basics - being myself and keeping in touch with my deepest instincts.
June i pray to be about focus. It marks my birthday and i want to focus on an object of importance to me. I would like to first find that focus and then to practice dhyana and dharana related to that object. I would cherish a pilgrimage in this time - a visit to a place of great spiritual importance. May God divine it.
July will be the gift of motherhood once again. I want to feel what it means to be a mother as a focus for me as i prepare to let my Mallika go after 18 years. She will turn 18 this month and will soon fly the nest. July is going to be my gift for her. All the time, attention, planning will be for her. We will travel a bit, I'm sure, but it will always be about spending as much time as we can together - with awareness.
August will be about restraint. I would like to gift myself restraint in every way - in speech, in action, in force, in emotions. I hope to give myself equanimity so i can get ready for the major upheaval Sept will bring. I wish myself organization, planning and giving attention to small details in arranging Mallika's departure for the US.
September i will gift myself the ability to let go and of detachment. I will let go of Mallika with tenderness and love, great hope and happiness. Her life will begin in a new phase this month and she will be the focus of my attention again but from a distance and with happiness. I will focus on my Aditya as well as he will need me more than anyone else. It will be a time of the three of us - Ajay, Aditya and me coming together as a new unit - one without Mallika. I hope to do things that will bring happiness and joy to the two men in my life, like cook for them!
Oct i hope to give myself the gift of spontaneity. No planning...no control...just acceptance. Take each thing as it comes with gratitude and happiness. No lists, no to do...just freedom.
November i want to try and overcome a fear. Maybe try out an asana that scares me. Or do something new. Something that challenges me. Something that throws me outside my comfort zone. I want to have the guts to do something i've not done before - learn to drive again?
December i hope to live in gratitude. Pure and deep gratitude for everything and everyone.
I wish the twelve months flow into each other, mingle and mix and create a beautiful symphony otherwise known as life.
These are my 12 gifts to me next year. And what are yours?
Thanks for sharing, Mohyna. I've seen you live what you've mentioned in so many ways. Keep living, breathing, loving, writing... that's my wish... and what a lovely way to begin this year with the Ashta Vinayak trip...
Posted by: deepa soman | December 31, 2010 at 11:50 AM
Excellent write-up, I was impressed because your way of writing is different and as far as I been looking for these days, you definitely have many online visitors.
Posted by: dodie | January 02, 2011 at 05:56 PM
Really simple yet Potent. What are my Goals going to be. Now I will have to rethink and model them on the guide you provided!
Posted by: Ramchandra Hegde | January 05, 2011 at 06:19 PM