Reset Your Mind and Body For the New Year
As you step into the new year, many of you are reflecting on the joy and connection the holiday season brought, or perhaps you’re moving through a range of more difficult emotions that can come up this time of year. You might also be noticing how this has impacted your daily routines and wellbeing. Indulgent meals, changes in your schedule, and resurfacing emotions are part of this transitional time of year, so now it’s time to reset and realign for the year ahead.
In Ayurveda, the transition between seasons—and into a new year—is an ideal time to reflect, release, and restore balance. Whether you’re feeling sluggish, bloated, or emotionally drained after the holidays, here are some Ayurvedic tips to help you reset your mind and body and start the year with lightness and clarity.
Reset Your Digestion After the Holidays
Digestive fire, or agni, is central to how we process food and life experiences. When it comes to food, agni represents our ability to breakdown, assimilate, and eliminate what we’re eating. Overindulgence during the holidays can weaken agni, leading to bloating, heaviness, or irregular digestion. Here’s how to rekindle your digestive fire:
Start the Day with Warm Lemon Water or Ginger Tea: This simple practice supports your natural digestive process by creating movement of the gut and encouraging release of your own digestive enzymes. Both lemon and ginger are known to stimulate release of saliva and bile which both aid in the breakdown of food.
Eat Mindfully: Be more intentional with what you are eating, choosing foods that are best for you in portion sizes that you can easily digest. Eating slowly and enjoying the flavors allows you to take in the proper amount of food while feeling satisfied.
Make Lunch Your Largest Meal: Your digestive fire is strongest in the middle of the day, so enjoy your heaviest meal at lunchtime and make breakfast and dinner lighter. Circadian rhythm research confirms that we produce more stomach acid in the middle of the day, which helps us digest.
Don’t Eat Late: It’s best not to eat after 6:00-7:00 pm to allow your digestive system to rekindle overnight. Our digestion slows down after this time and those calories will get stored instead of being used for energy.
Practices for Release
Cleansing is a cornerstone of Ayurveda, especially after periods of indulgence or stress. These simple practices can help create circulation of blood and lymph to rid the body of any accumulated toxicity:
Gentle Movement: Incorporate mindful yoga or short walks to stimulate circulation. When we move, we bring nutrients to all the cells and facilitate removal of cellular waste.
Self-Massage with Warm Oil: A gentle daily self massage (abhyanga) promotes lymphatic circulation and relaxation. The lymphatic system plays an important role in removing large molecules that are too big to get into smaller blood vessels for removal.
Herbal Support: Triphala is a great herb to rebalance the gut for healthy elimination. Research has shown that triphala encourages the growth of healthy bacteria, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, while suppressing the growth of less desirable bacteria, such as E. coli.
Heat Therapy: A warm bath or sauna gently encourages circulation and opens pores and channels for elimination through the skin.
Reflect
Just as we cleanse the body, it’s important to release emotional and mental residue that no longer serves us. Journaling can help process emotions from the holidays and set intentions for the new year.
Try this simple practice before bed:
Sit quietly and take a few deep breaths.
Write down any emotions that came up over the holidays—both positive and negative.
Reflect on the feelings and gently release them by writing affirmations like:
“I accept myself and others as they are.”
“I release what no longer serves me.”
End with gratitude by noting a few things that brought you joy during the season, however small, such as:
“I enjoyed some holiday music”
“I enjoyed the first snow”
In addition, getting back to a regular sleep/wake routine allows you to maximize your innate emotional processing and release through the natural sleep cycles.
Set Your Intentions for 2025
In Ayurveda, we call a heartfelt intention a Sankalpa—a subtle resolution that aligns with your higher self. Take a few moments to meditate each day, connect with your heart, and set an intention for the year ahead. Whether it’s improving your health, gaining more knowledge, or nurturing relationships, planting this seed of intention sets the stage for your growth and transformation.
Wishing you good health, abundance, and peace in the coming year!