You may have done something similar to this ritual with me or on your own before. It’s an ancient ritual of burning the rubbish to create space for the new. Try it and let me know how it goes.
Letting Go Ritual
Gather: paper, pens, a candle, matches, a glass, metal bowl or shell, a small bowl of water.
Create a safe and sacred space where you won’t be disturbed for some time, turn off the phone, notifications, let your family know not to bother you.
I like to do ceremony on an empty stomach. So do this before or a couple of hours after you eat.
Light your candle. Yoga Sutra 1.34 vishoka va joytishmati says, “when we focus on the light, we become the light.”
Take a few slow and deep breaths as you settle into your seat. Begin to focus on the light as you breathe slowly.
Eventually allow your eyes to close.
Picture the past year. Who have you met? Did you reach your financial goals? What adventures have you taken? Which of your expectations were met? Which were not?
As thoughts bubble up, jot them down. Draw pictures. Use words. Go with whatever comes up for you.
Close your eyes again. And continue with the process until you feel done.
Don’t rush it.
Don’t worry if you remember everything. What needs to be released will surface? Trust.
When you feel complete, end your meditation.
Read over your list. Make any additions.
Take your paper and put it over your fire proof bowl.
Say a prayer to Spirit to take your offerings and transmute them with fire.
Set your paper on fire and burn it to ash. You may have to relight it. Be careful. If you have a lot of paper, you may condense it onto one so you have less to burn. While the paper burns, continue to repeat your request of Spirit.
If burning is not an option, you can tear up your paper and add water to pulverize it. Water also has the ability to transform a substance.
Notice how you feel and what the process was like for you.
Take some time to journal about the process. I tend to feel lighter and freer after doing this.
Now you can begin to dream about your intentions for the new year.
Let me know how it goes and if you have any additions that enhanced the process for you.
