Taking 2021’s Positives Into 2022

To Resilience, Activism, Spiritual Enlightenment and Renewal in 2022!

We started 2021 hoping for health, peace, reconciliation, unity and a return to normalcy. Instead, the year got off to a seething start and went on to simmer and sputter before meeting its final trial, which may keep many of us physically separated the first few weeks of 2022. But being an optimist, I was amazed and elated by the resilience I saw this year too. It was everywhere and added another ‘s’ word to this year’s most prominent qualities—soared. Yes, 2021 soared as we channeled our resilience and embraced activism. And along the way we improved health; furthered peace, reconciliation and unity; and got a touch of normalcy.

Think about it. We vaccinated almost 50% of the world and we should hit 75% in early 2022. Black Lives Matter racked up major wins. Renewable energy made such huge inroads it’s about to become our main source of energy worldwide. The G20 agreed to tax the world’s the richest corporations. The U.S. got a much needed $1 trillion infrastructure bill. And my personal favorites: scientists dispelled the notion that cheese is bad for us, and ‘everything bagel’ took over every food group—even ice cream and cookies!

As we reflect on this past year, let’s take the positives with us to help shape a better 2022. We must not lose strength and develop self-knowledge; maintain our inward calm and certainty in difficult life situations; and cultivate an unshakable trust in life itself.

Cheers and best wishes for a sweet New Year!

BijaB

Cultivating Wellbeing: Now More Than Ever

The theme of the 15th Global Wellness Summit (GWS) in Boston this December was “A NEW New Era in Health & Wellness,” which explored how our future will change as medicine and wellness become powerful allies. One of the presenters that stood out to me was Dr. Richard J. Davidson, PhD, founder and director of the Center for Healthy Minds. His message was an urgent call for strategies—both personal and collective—to cultivate and take control of total wellbeing. Here are four pillars of wellbeing that, when practiced, can lead to noticeable change:

1. Awareness:  Develop the capacity to regulate your attention.
2. Connection:  Nurture healthy social relationships along with kindness and compassion.
3. Insight:  Be curious; cultivate knowledge of yourself and reframe any negative narratives.
4. Purpose:  Find your sense of direction in life; connect to love, meaning and personal growth.

Learn more about this year’s, and past year’s, Global Wellness Summit.
Next year: Tel Aviv!

Life Lessons I Learned from George Harrison

The resilience and activism I saw this year really hit home for me this past November as we marked the 20th anniversary of George Harrison’s death. Why George? Like every girl who came of age in the 1960s, I was a passionate Beatles fan and George was my favorite. But I was lucky enough to get to know him as his yoga therapist, and learned lifelong lessons from him on spirituality, activism and humility. I recently wrote a piece for Rolling Stone on how George Harrison epitomized these qualities and shared them with the world, which you can read here. But in short, during his way-too-brief career, George was not only a persistent activist with big goals, but he was also eternally humble, committed to his spiritual beliefs and measured his success by his accomplishments.

Starting another new year with great hopes, it’s a good time to remember the significant impact George had on the world, his ultimate belief in failure and success, and the importance of pursuing possibilities. After all, this was a man who knew that ‘all things must pass,’ to channel the name of his ground-breaking and most celebrated album. And he believed in new beginnings with each new year, as his “Ding Dong, Ding Dong” song says. So, this year, follow its advice and “ring out the old, ring in the new; ring out the false, ring in the true.”

I leave you with wishes for hope, resilience and renewal in the coming year—and some hearty bellringing this weekend.