As 2021 nears its close, it’s a good time to look back over the year and ask yourself ‘How was it for me, what have I learned, what am I leaving behind and what am I taking forward?’
A time of transformation
For all of us, the last two years have been challenging in different ways. Leaves Institute founder, Yumiko Asakura is among the many healers and spiritual teachers who have been preparing for these times of transformation and planetary change for many years. She explained that the years 2019 to 2021 have been characterised by the alchemical process of fire, burning away the old to allow the new to emerge. Like many evolutionary thinkers, Yumiko regards Covid-19 as a sign for us as humans to reassess our values and ways of being and the catalyst for transformational change on a global scale.
Who we really are
As we move out of 2021, she urges each of us to think about who we really are and how we can be true to that in the years ahead. This is not always easy as the world we live in encourages us to conform so we can feel safe, and we are educated to follow the way things have always been done rather than to innovate. The first step is to take responsibility for ourselves and the way we live, rather than what is dictated to us by society. Respecting ourselves, others and our planet helps us to live in a more spiritual way so that we can connect more fully with our true self.
The role of creator
The pandemic has forced all of us to spend more time at home, with ourselves and with our families. It has encouraged more introspection and brought us face-to-face with some of our greatest fears – of death and the loss of loved ones. As hard as this has been, this is an unparalleled opportunity to understand ourselves better and what would bring more meaning to our lives. We have learned how to be creative within strict limitations – just look at the many inventive and unexpected ways all of us have found to continue our lives and connections despite the challenges of repeated lockdowns. Next year will be a time for stepping even more into our role of creator so we can express our uniqueness in the world. We will be covering that in a separate blog (Stepping into 2022) and exploring how understanding who you are and your life’s purpose can help you to make sense of things that have happened in your life up until now.
Overcoming fears
But for now, as this particular phase comes to a close, allow yourself to relax and accept that things will unfold in time and you don’t have to try and force it to happen. Fear is an instinctive defence mechanism and something that is essential for our survival as it allows us to understand when we are in danger and protect ourselves. However, fear can also limit us as it may prevent us from stepping into the unknown.
A helpful practice right now can be to look at your fears and ask yourself ‘is this a reasonable response, is it coming from within me or from outside of me, do I need to act on this fear?’ Be kind to yourself. This is not about beating yourself up but just noticing when you are fearful and how you are responding to those fears. Healing is one of the ways you can revisit old wounds and fears and make new choices. In the New Year we will be launching a Self-Creative Therapy programme which is highly effective at helping you to identify blocks and defence mechanisms and supporting you to make different choices. While many people tend to regard ‘healing’ as being something that releases pain, at Leaves Institute we see healing as being as way to release what is no longer needed and to heal the self to allow you to move forward.
Press the reset button
In Yumiko’s native Japan, for many people the 31st December and 1st January are designated as days for doing nothing. That is very different to our Western culture, where New Year’s Eve is often a time of making plans and socialising. However, allowing yourself time and space to spend time doing nothing – ideally just with yourself – can help to press the reset button. If you can, listen to yourself and your body, and notice what comes into your mind. Try and imagine you know nothing about yourself and just see what insights emerge. It can be a great way to allow a new beginning – a new year – to begin to emerge.
From all of us at Leaves Institute, have a happy new year and look out for our Stepping Into 2022 blog post coming soon.
