As we approach the year end, many of us are reflecting on the year gone by, goals achieved and those left behind. We made resolutions (Sankalpas) at the beginning of the year that we aimed to achieve and now it is almost time to make new resolutions. But before we do that, what can we do to end the year on the right note?

The answer lies in Yoga. Yoga is not just a practice but a way of life. It provides us with a wonderful guidebook to live a balanced, healthy and productive life. By exploring different nuggets of Yogic practices and philosophies, we find hidden gems of advice, guidance and answers to help us. When these philosophies and practices are broken down, they can be adapted and applied to our lives in so many wonderful ways. Whether it is chalking out a realistic Sankalpa at the beginning of the year to achieve your goals, or staying mindful and aware of your daily thoughts and actions, Yoga can help you live up to your highest potential.

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Here are five must-dos to help you end your year right

Take time to reflect

Now is the best time to pause, reflect and review the goals you set out to achieve at the beginning of the year. Check off what you have achieved and make a fresh list of the changes you wish to make before the year ends. This could include simple things such as meditating for 10 minutes everyday, or waking up 15 minutes earlier. Be mindful of the number of days left in the year and how much you can achieve. During this process of reflecting, spend some time meditating. It will help you gain clarity of your goals, why you wish to achieve them and what’s truly important to you.

Few helpful tips when reflecting on your goals:

Clearly think through or study your list of goals and desires. Tick off the ones you have already achieved.
Think of what your intention was behind the goals you haven’t yet accomplished. Now think of whether your intention is still the same or if your purpose has changed. Do you feel like you still want to achieve that? Is there something else that you want to prioritize? Set the intention and think like you already have it - ‘I have already achieved this.’
Now start acting on it. Think and behave like you have already sowed the seeds for what you wish to grow.

Practice non-possession

‍This is the best time to declutter and remove what you don’t need and a perfect way to apply the concept of Aparigraha (non-possession), the fifth Yama. It simply means to not be greedy, to not keep that which does not serve you, and to not cling onto materialistic possessions. Donate to charity, let go of toxic relationships, declutter digitally (your inbox, social media), etc. Make space for new, happy and abundant opportunities.

Karma Yoga

‍The Yoga of action, Karma Yoga is a wonderful practice to develop. Spend some time helping people, and the community around you. Help a homeless person near your home or take care of your planet by cleaning up garbage on your street or reducing plastic usage. This helps you move from focusing on ‘I’ (yourself) to focusing on those around you. It’s also a beautiful way to express gratitude.

Giving thanks

Take the time to count your blessings and be grateful for everything you have and every experience you have had in the year gone by. One of the most powerful habits you can develop, it allows you to welcome the good and surrender the bad. The beauty of Yoga is that there are numerous ways to surrender and express gratitude to the universe. You can express gratitude by meditating, practicing heart opening asanas, surrendering asanas and the namaste mudra. Journaling or taking the time to set a gratitude intention at the beginning of your day is also helpful. The improved awareness of thoughts that Yoga brings will help you stay mindful and positive too.

Self-care

‍Set aside time for yourself. Whether it is a fixed time for your Yoga practice, or taking a walk in nature, make sure you stretch and move your body every day. Movement is medicine. Take time to soak up the sun's rays or to walk barefoot on grass. Stay grounded in your thoughts and actions. Get enough restful sleep, and eat healthy and mindfully. Then energy, focus, productivity and well-being will flow with ease.

It does take time to develop habits and practices. Start small and do what you can. Every small step will contribute towards ending your year on a high note. You’ll also have a renewed perspective on what you wish to achieve in the coming year, which will help you make the right goals.

Yoga Nidra and Resolve

If you are finding it hard to pause and reflect on your resolve and goals, practicing Yoga Nidra is helpful. Yoga Nidra, the guided relaxation technique consists of eight stages, and strengthening your resolve is one full stage of its own. It is practiced twice - once in the beginner, when the mind is quite awake, known as conscious Sankalpa. And another time during the visualization stage when the mind is in the subconscious state. During the practice when a teacher asks you to remember your resolve and repeat the resolve in your mind, it penetrates deep into the mind. The subconscious Sankalpa becomes stable and deeply rooted in the psyche, while remembering the Sankalpa in the conscious state allows you to stay focused and grounded with a deep sense of direction and purpose.

You might be wondering why you need this practice. Very often we get lost in chasing goals or the failure of achieving them. We lose sight of why we truly wanted to achieve something. And sometimes, without realizing, we are very hard on ourselves. That’s where yogic practices like Yoga Nidra, or even meditation, help us gain clarity and purpose, so we focus on what matters.