After weeks of holiday festivities and gatherings, why not reward yourself with a relaxing evening of quiet reflection and peaceful New Years meditation? New Year’s Eve is the perfect night to stay away from the traffic and noisy celebrations in order to take stock of the year behind and the one ahead. If you’ve had an especially difficult year, this makes even more sense.
Your contemplative evening can begin with a soul cleansing meditation. Many people think that meditation is cultish and associated with Eastern religion. In fact, it is a practice that can be found in all religions and cultures. It is not so much an act as it is a state of being. It is a condition of awareness and profound, deep peace that happens when the mind is calm and silent, yet totally alert. Research has associated meditation with reduced stress, decreased depression, anxiety, pain and insomnia, and an enhanced quality of life.

Here are a few suggestions to help you create a powerful new ritual for the last night of the year and beyond.

1. Pick a space that is comfortable, simple and uncluttered. It can be a corner of your bedroom or an entire room that you dedicate to your new meditation practice.
2. Set the scene. Place a few houseplants in your meditation area to add an element of nature. Add cozy pillows, a comfortable chair, a favorite rug, or other objects that will make this a welcoming space for you. (If you need more inspiration, pinterest.com has hundreds of ideas for creating your ideal meditation space.)
3. Dim the lights or better yet, light candles. Aromatherapy candles come in many beautiful scents as does incense. These provide a pleasant olfactory stimulus during meditation.
4. Select a captivating sound track. It could be nature sounds, wind chimes or the sound of the ocean. Music is known to have a strong influence on both mental and physical health. Research has shown that slow, serene music has very therapeutic effects. It can alter brainwave speed and actually induce a meditative state. You can download or stream this type of music from websites such as Spotify, Google Play, Pandora, YouTube and others.

Now that you have your space furnished and music selected, you’ll need some how to guidance. There are many books, DVDs, CDs and streaming videos to help you in learning to meditate. If you’ve never done it before, finding a good teacher is invaluable. But for this one night, use whatever teaching aid you have at hand; enjoy your solitude and enchanting new space, and let the stresses of life melt away.

SottoPelle® Is More than BHRT

At SottoPelle®, we understand that good health involves so much more than merely achieving balanced hormones or existing disease-free. It represents a vibrant state of being—one where living in balance unifies each of us in mind, body, and spirit. Loving and being at peace with ourselves is the foundation of a healthy, vital life.

Happy New Year from our SottoPelle® family to yours!