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Whether you’re working a full-time job, managing household finances, starting a new business, or raising a family (or even a combination of the four), juggling the daily demands of life can be stressful. Rather than adding another time-intensive to-do to your already-busy plate, we decided to nix the typical New Year’s resolution fad in favor of 21 simple rituals that are efficient, effective, and positively energizing. Practice all of them at your leisure or choose your favorite and let it carry you throughout the year. It is yours alone and your choice only.

For the first week in our 21-days series, we’re sharing 9 of our favorite lifestyle rituals to help revitalize your mind and body and set the tone for a healthy year.

1. Ground Yourself With A Simple Yoga Sequence

The beginning of the year is the perfect time to focus on becoming more grounded –– because when we aren’t, it’s quite easy to feel like a leaf floating in the wind. Yoga by itself is a grounding practice; however, there are certain poses and sequences that can help you get more in tune with the natural rhythms of your body. Follow Liz Lowenstein (one of our favorite yogis!) to find a pose or sequence that you can incorporate into your routine.

2. Start Your Day With A Mindful Manuka Meditation

Mindfulness focuses on being present in the moment, with full awareness of our thoughts, feelings, and bodies. Before reaching for your phone the moment you turn off your alarm in the morning, take a moment to yourself to set an intention for the day. Place a spoonful of Manuka Honey (any UMF™) into your mouth, lightly close your eyes, focus your attention inwards, and let the honey –– and the practice –– dissolve in your mouth.

3. Attract Your Own Abundance In 20 Minutes

Whether it’s happiness, health, or affluence you seek this year, you have the power to bring it into your life. 
Here’s how it works:

• 1. Set up a special sacred place where you can deliberately focus and feel grounded (reference ritual #1).
• 2. Cleanse the space with sage or palo santo to set the tone for good vibes (learn more about benefits of smudging from our friends at Well+Good here).
• 3. In a journal, write your goal –– as clear as day! –– at the top of the page and underline it. Then, write down what you’re currently doing to achieve this goal and what steps are needed to reach it.

*Revisit this journal entry on a monthly basis to assess your progress.

4. Pen The Perfect Appreciation Letter

It’s easy to send a text or even shoot off a quick email. But how often do you actually sit down to write a thoughtful letter? Commit to crafting a one-page handwritten letter to someone who has made a positive impact on your life. It could be your relative, best friend, teacher, colleague, or mentor. Whoever it may be, pick one person each month and tell them just how much their presence in your life means to you. And, if possible, deliver the letter to the recipient in person.

5. Find Something To Look Forward To Every Week

We all need something to look forward to in life. In fact, research shows it’s paramount to keeping us happy, motivated, and thriving! Every Sunday night, write down one positive thing you’re looking forward to in the upcoming week. It can be something as big as a reunion with old college friends or as small as treating yourself to a delicious chocolate mousse after completing a weekly fitness goal.

6. Harness The Power Of Your Breath To Center & Relax

There are few things as powerful for the mind and body as the conscious breath. Nadi shodhana, also known as alternate nostril breathing, is a simple and effective technique that helps to reduce anxiety and balance emotional well-being.

Step 1 –– Sit in a comfortable seated position. Close your eyes and allow your mind and body to settle.

Step 2 –– Softly close the right nostril with the right thumb. Inhale slowly through the left nostril, then close it with your ring finger. Release the right nostril and slowly exhale.

Step 3 –– Repeat this sequence for 10 full breaths. (One full breath = in right, out left / in left, out right.)

7. Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone To Tap Into Hidden Creativity

It’s a common belief that creativity is an elusive art, reserved only for unique thinkers. The real truth is that anyone has the power to channel creativity! Devote one hour every month to an activity that is completely outside of your comfort zone (don’t worry, you don’t have to excel at it). The point is to challenge your traditional ways of thinking and embrace new ideas and approaches.

8. Unplug & Recharge With The Power Of Nature

It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind of life. If you find yourself constantly checking work emails at the dinner table or obsessing over social media for hours on end, it’s a sign that you need to unplug and set aside time to call your Mother. Maybe you take the longer route with your dog on Monday mornings. Or maybe you skip your typical Thursday night Netflix binge and go for a run with one of your girlfriends. Whatever your choice, get back to the goodness of nature at least one day a week.

9. Start A Weekly Reflection Journal

Weekly journaling is the key to personal growth. At the end of the week, devote 20 minutes to reflect on one positive thing that happened. Write it down. Save it. Repeat every week for the following 51 weeks. While this might be one of the more time-consuming rituals on this list, we promise you’ll be grateful when you look back on all that 2019 had to offer.

Stay tuned for part two of our #RitualSimplicity series: 7 Rituals to Boost Wellness & Promote Self-Care.

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