The Romans had a two-headed god that stood in gateways (the real and metaphorical kind). His name was Janus, and it is from him that we get the name for the first month of the year.

It's an apt visual as we cross from one year to the next. I think we're all looking back and gazing into the future at the same time. That's what I want to focus on today. How do we reflect and think ahead while being exactly where we are?

Honor the year that closes

I love the way that a new year initiates a collective sense of reflection. We look back at what we’ve accomplished. We remember those who are no longer with us. We look forward to the possibilities that can unfold when we wake up on January 1, 2022.

I've noticed a trend of bashing the current year as we make our way into the next one. Maybe it's cathartic for some, but I've never found it too helpful. Our experiences can be powerful teachers. Think about all the learnings in your year. There are pleasant ones and unpleasant ones, but all of them can show us something that can propel us forward.

Svadhyaya is a key part of a well-rounded practice, and when we're poised at the threshold of a new year, we're in the perfect place to take on this self-study. This is the time to think about what worked and didn't work. How did you grow this year, and where are the opportunities for improvement?

Thank you, body

An unfortunate side effect of this being the end of the year is that it feels like our bodies are under extra scrutiny. Dieting, exercising, and conforming to some arbitrary ideal are having their moment like they do every December/ January. If you're in recovery or deal with body-image issues, the New Year can be especially brutal.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having health and fitness goals. I’m right here cheering for you to have success in feeling healthy and well. I’m just not here for, “New Year, new you.” I think it denies all the greatness you already have going for you.

I hope that whether or not you have a health-related goal for 2022, that you’ll take a moment to acknowledge your physical body in a compassionate way. Think of it as a sort of counter-narrative to all the body fear-mongering that goes around in this season. We have now gone through almost two years of this pandemic. You may look and feel differently than when this thing started. No matter what the change is, your body has carried you through. Isn’t that amazing?

If the mood strikes you, it might feel good to say, “Thank you, body. Thanks for bringing me through this year.”

The best changes are gradual

New Year's resolutions can get pretty lofty sometimes. Admittedly, there are circumstances that require us to go through complete paradigm shifts. The average New Year’s resolution isn’t like that, though.

An example of a New Year’s Resolution might be, “I’m going to meditate for an hour every day in 2022.” That sounds great! We all know meditation has good, solid science and thousands of years of history behind it. An hour is a nice, round number...

There are other considerations to be made when resolving things, and good ol' svadhyaya can help with this too. How many times per week do you meditate now? How long do you sit during those sessions?

When you’re new to sitting, even five minutes can feel like forever. Ask me how I know… One hour might as well be a completely different century. A resolution with those parameters doesn’t really set the resolver up for success, does it? On the other hand, if you’re used to sitting for 45-minutes, 5 days a week, then the same resolution isn’t too much of a stretch.

When you’re making your resolutions, think about where you are in relation to where you want to be. Consider your threshold for change. Are you someone who adapts to change easily, or does it take time? (Be honest with yourself. Nobody is keeping score, and it’s okay if you fall into the latter category. I'll save a seat on the bench for you if you're in the "takes time to adapt" group.)

Goals don’t have to be sweeping to make a huge impact on your life. A little change here and there, sustained over a long period of time can be life-altering in a way that doing something major for a week probably won’t be.

Move in your own time

Just like in a Yin yoga class or when we're getting up from savasana, we're encouraged to move in our own time. The same is true for making changes.

When you reflect and see an area for growth, you can move toward that growth at any time. January 1 is a big day for us as a culture, but every day is a new day. Every day gives us the chance to learn and then take what we learn and make something of it.

May you be loving and compassionate to yourself in this new year. May 2022 bring you good health and happiness.