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6 Mindfulness Musts to Help Set Intentions this Year
Have big dreams for the year ahead? Help manifest them by organizing your thoughts and setting intentions with these mindfulness musts.
December 27, 2019
“In order to become more clear on what we want, we have to slow our minds down to filter through some of this chatter,” says Michigan-based stylist and salon owner Kelli Mason. “If we want to see clearly our year and get ourselves on the track that leads to our biggest goals, we have to clearly ask for what we want.”
4 min to read
Experts estimate that the mind thinks between 60,000 – 80,000 thoughts a day. That's an average of 2500 – 3,300 thoughts per hour. It’s no wonder it’s hard to make choices or decide what we want.
“In order to become more clear on what we want, we have to slow our minds down to filter through some of this chatter,” says Michigan-based stylist and salon owner Kelli Mason. “If we want to see clearly our year and get ourselves on the track that leads to our biggest goals, we have to clearly ask for what we want.”
Three years ago, when Mason would teach balayage classes, she began leading students through a guided meditation before starting class to help increase their awareness. She saw so much success and excitement with this, she wanted to focus on it full time.
She launched Limitless Hairdresser, a platform which integrates mindfulness, meditation and yoga into hairdressing.
To get yourself on the right track for the new year, Mason shares some mindfulness best practices you can get into the habit of doing yourself up for success and see your 2020 visions through.
Meditate. “Our lungs, heart, and mind are connected,” Mason says. “When we slow down our breath, our heart rate slows down and in turn our minds can relax and focus. A simple six breaths in slowly through your nose and six breaths out through your nose three times will dramatically impact your relaxation and focus.” From this place you can sort through your thoughts more easily and choose what it is you want to prioritize. Mason created a meditation specifically for hairdressers and shares it here.
Journaling. Jot down your New Year’s resolutions on paper (or in your phone). “This is so helpful to see what is actually swirling around in your mind,” Mason says. “I suggest doing this right after your meditation or first thing in the morning when you are still in a dream-like state. You will be able to get a more pure expression and not get in your own way.”
Move your body. "Our minds benefit from stillness, and our bodies benefit from movement. The two of them are connected and need opposite things," Mason says. She adds that yoga is a great way to get the body talking to you and focus attention into the spaces that create disturbances in our minds. For example: Our shoulders tend to hold the weight of the world—if you’re feeling pressured in life, stretch out your shoulders; this will help your thoughts to come in more clearly.
Play. “Yes and I mean the little kid kind of play where you can be silly, laugh, and have no obligations,” Mason says. “Playing helps us get out of our heads and let go of the pressures to ‘do everything right.’ It is a great way to relax and let inspiration come to you naturally.”
Make lists. Mason creates two columns when deciding what she wants her intentions to be and what she wants to manifest. To do this, make a column of all the things that you want to accomplish and on the other side make a list of all the words that describe how you want to feel in 2020. Then go back through and decide if you think you could do the objective and still maintain how you want to feel during it. If it’s a no and you still want to achieve it, figure out what you would need to do to align the action with the feeling.
Create an intent statement. Along with setting your intentions for 2020, creating an intent statement is such a great help to keep you on track. Mason says these are “I am” statements: “I am taking the steps to create the life of my dreams.” “I am relaxed and at peace as I create the life that I desire.” Choosing one that aligns with what you want and putting it somewhere you can see it every day will help you to keep a positive mindset especially when things can get a little bumpy.
Originally posted on Modern Salon
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