How to Have a Mindful New Year

Start the new year with mindfulness!

A priority is something that is of utmost importance. When we are clear about our priorities, we can spend our time and energy working toward them. The behaviors we initiate based on these values will help our actions match what is in our hearts. We want classrooms, yoga classes, teams, families, groups, and individuals to try out our priorities activity to get their priorities clear. That way in the new year we are becoming what we believe in and making the world better in the meantime.

Priorities Activity:

1. Make a list of some priorities together.

2. Choose a couple to work towards.

3. Brainstorm HOW you will behave to work towards your priorities

4. As tasks toward the priorities are completed, keep track (Read the Different ways you can keep track for some ideas!)

5. Wrap up the activity at the end of the school year, yoga session or end of 2017 by reading aloud and remembering the year.

6. Reflect on how it felt to work towards priorities and make time for what really matters to YOU!

Some examples of things your group may want to prioritize:

• Charitable giving

• Kindness to others

• Having Fun

• Kindness to self

• Time spent giving back to the community

• Movement and exercise

• Breathing

Different ways you can keep track of working towards priorities:

• Get a huge clear jar and put a post-it note it each time an action is taken to support the priority.

• Use a bulletin board to illustrate or write down each step taken

• Make a journal detailing each task or step taken, date each one!