END OF YEAR RELEASE RITUAL
While this post was written for the close of 2016 the ritual presented here is suitable to use at the end of any year.
2016 is coming to a close and it’s naturally time to reflect back on the year… and start to look forward to 2017. It’s been a heavy year of releasing for many people, a year of endings. As we enter the countdown to 2017 many of us are still holding things that no longer serve us. In order to make the quantum leap into the New Year and the new cycle filled with awakened potential it’s essential to release these in the next few weeks. A 2016 releasing ceremony is the perfect way to weeks to round off the energetic cycle of 2016 and make the transition into 2017.
2016: End Of A Cycle
2016 is the final year in a nine year cycle of growth. As it winds down take the time to acknowledge how far you’ve come over the last 9 years. Reflect on your lessons and new awareness. Embrace wisdom gained and re-remembered and be GRATEFUL for all the joyous moments in your life.
Many people start off their New Year by making a list of resolutions. Many also don’t reach any of their goals. Often they make the same resolution year after year without achieving it!
Create Strong Foundations
Trying to set achievable goals to reach your dreams without first firming a solid foundation is like building a home over a sink-hole. Without firm footings it will collapse. Therefore you need to get really clear about where you’re starting out from. Only then will you create the footings you need in order to create achievable goals. The 2016 Releasing Ceremony does just that by highlighting both the journey you travelled and the lessons and achievements you encountered along way.
2016 has been a difficult year for many. It was filled with difficult challenges that provided great opportunity for personal development and spiritual growth. Many of these challenges revisited familiar life lessons, lessons that repeat over and over, spiraling back upon themselves. Each revisit brings a variation of the core lesson providing the opportunity to reach a deeper awareness of both the lesson and yourself.
Coming at the end of a nine year cycle the lessons of 2016 are the culmination of this spiraling awareness and deepening consciousness. It’s essential to now finalise them or they will be carried into the new nine year cycle to be repeated yet again.
Bear in mind that the significant aspects of 2016 will be those that bring these nine year long lessons to culmination.
Create Your 2016 Release Ritual
Before you begin your 2016 Releasing Ceremony prepare your space. If you have an altar or space you normally use to meditate or journal it would be ideal, so use that. If not create a special space for this ceremony.
First select a quiet, clear corner. Collect your tools together. You need a pen and paper or a dedicated journal, a pillar candle and matches. Brew a relaxing herbal tea. Close the door behind you and turn off your phone so you won’t be disturbed.
To begin your release ritual take a few deep belly breaths to settle and ground yourself. Once you feel solid and grounded light the candle to mark the start and open the energies. Spend as long as you need to quietly disconnect from outside cares. Focus inward and allow yourself this time and space away from the obligations of your life.
Once you feel calm and centred consider the following and record your thoughts and insights in your journal or paper.
Acknowledge Success
1. List your illuminating insights and the great insights that occurred.
2. What dreams came true for you? It’s important to record any dreams that actually manifested. Dreams, and how dearly you held them, are easy to forget once they come to fruition. Include both large and small dreams as small dreams often evolve into big dreams later
3. Include your 2016 achievements, both the small glories and the big ones. Describe what you learnt. What are you now aware of that you weren’t previously?
Recognise Growth
4. In what ways have you changed? What brought about the change in you?
5. What are you now aware of about yourself that you didn’t know before?
6. What no longer serves you that you have now outgrown?
7. Were you asked to step up in the past year? Have you finally achieved something you have never managed before? Acknowledge your awesomeness and include everything that swells you with pride.
8. Have you surprised yourself by achieving something you never dreamed you were capable of?
Release Frustrations
9. What really jarred with you over the year? Was there anything that caused ongoing disharmony? What can you no longer tolerate at all and can’t wait to ditch? What is it that MUST GO?
10. Need to rant? The floor is yours – get it off your chest. Cry if it helps you release, relief will flow into the space it creates. Just Let. It. Go.
Express Gratitude
11. What gifts have you received this year? How have you grown? What insights do you now have? How has your life moved forward? Include everything, even the smallest gift. Include everything that has made your life better.
Once you have finished writing you are ready to release 2016 with a huge sigh of relief. You can now face the year ahead and the next nine year cycle with a fresh, clean page. You can now open yourself to new opportunities and awareness. You’re ready to identify dreams, clarify goals and make resolutions.
After doing the 2016 Releasing Ceremony you will see clearly what the first step you need to take is, and then to take it with purpose. As Lao Tzu said:
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”.
Close Your Release Ritual
To finish your ritual put your notes aside. Begin by breathing deeply into your belly. Sense golden light flooding into you and filling your whole body with its sparkling glow. Breathe in this beautiful vibrant light for a few more breaths.
Taking your focus to your exhale, allow every frustration, disappointment and disharmony of the past year that you’ve been holding in the cells of your body, to be carried out on your breath.
Repeat this three times until you feel the negativity shift out of your body. Feel your shoulders drop as the weight you have carried is released. Feel yourself becoming lighter and freer.
Once more breathe deep into your belly drawing in the indigo light of vision and perception with your breath. Sense if flow through your body energising your body and clarifying your mind.
Again focusing your attention on your exhale, slowly release your breath along with the difficult energy of the past year. Allow it to gently leave your body knowing that it leaves within you all the positive energy, self-knowledge and awareness you have gained from the experiences and lessons it offered. Know that the insight and knowledge you gained provide a strength to carry you into the New Year.
Sit with the loving positive energy as long as you need and when you are ready slowly open your eyes and prepare to welcome in the coming year with joy and anticipation in your new cleansed state.
Disclaimer
The Information contained on this site is for your general health information. It is not intended to be used as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes. The information is not a substitute for independent professional advice and should not be used as an alternative to professional healthcare. If you have a particular medical problem, please consult a healthcare professional.
© Catherine Bullard and Happy Holistic Health, 2012. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Catherine Bullard and Happy Holistic Health with appropriate and specific direction to the original content
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