With another year drawing to a close, it’s a prompt to step back and reflect on how far we’ve come. Give yourself credit where credit is due - it’s good for you! Pinpoint the lessons and experiences that shaped you. Look at the bigger picture which can so easily get lost in the day-to-day. I like to do end-of-year reflections a little differently. Here’s how and why.
Why reflect with sound bowls?
Winter isn’t the season for setting goals. In my experience, I’m a lot more successful when I set goals in the Spring. Energetically it makes sense. Winter is a time of hibernation and Spring is for new growth. I like to lean into that. So my end-of-year reflection is pure reflection. I’m not rushing through it to set new goals. I’m not looking for things I didn’t do ‘good enough’ and need to work on next year. I shut out the rest of the world, mull over the past year and let thoughts and realisations float to the surface.
A great tool for this is singing bowls. When the sound waves are washing over me, I’m in a meditative state primed for reflection. I feel switched off from my everyday life. I’m not worried about whether I responded to that email or if I have anything for dinner. I’ve got rid of the mind clutter and can focus on the bigger picture and what’s really important to me. Don’t forget sound healing affects the brain waves. Moving into theta brain waves opens the unconscious mind, creative thinking and self-awareness. All very useful when reflecting!
If you would like to try reflecting with singing bowls, pick a couple that you feel drawn to. Sit down to play and bring to mind some questions you’d like to reflect on. As you play, see what comes up for you. It’s helpful to have a journal within arm's reach so you can note down key takeaways afterwards. You might want to do this a couple of times to go deeper. You could just focus on one or two questions at a time. Do what feels right for you. Remember there’s no rush or right answer. I have a 15 minute self-care ritual that I often return to including singing bowls and journaling. Take a look for inspiration.
6 reflective answers
To inspire you, I’ve come up with a few questions that prompt pure reflection at the end of the year. I’ve also shared my answers as an example and to let you in on some of my takeaways from the year as the founder of I Know This Girl, a holistic practitioner and a woman on an ongoing journey of growth.
What are you proudest of?
When you think back on the year, what are the moments that make you think “I did that!” They don’t have to be impressive to other people or Instagramable. It’s not about anyone else. It’s about what you appreciate about yourself. Was there a challenge you overcame? Was there a dream you finally accomplished? What do you want to give yourself a round of applause for?
2024 was a big year for me, it started with the ending of a long-term relationship, a very hard decision to make. That fuelled my desire to leave London even more, which I’d been thinking of doing for a few years but didn’t know where I wanted to move to.
I very quickly planned trips with friends and started my hunt for a new home - nothing like diving straight into a new project post break-up to take your mind off things. When I decided upon Bristol (after only one visit), I found my new home within a few months and packed up 19 years of life in London, rented out my flat and moved cities.
I put so much energy into finding my new home within a tight timeline, as well as running my business, there were certainly some challenging moments. I’m proud of my new home and new Singing Bowl showroom; I couldn’t feel happier here.
What was a pleasant surprise?
However much goal-setting and planning we do, we never really know what the year will bring. The unexpected turn of events can be the ones we gain the most from. Maybe there was something you thought would be harder than it actually was. Maybe you achieved something that you wouldn’t have even thought to do at the beginning of the year. Maybe there’s something you enjoyed more than you expected.
A pleasant surprise for me was finding out how easy it was to start again somewhere new.
I jumped in headfirst and booked onto events as soon as I moved in. Very quickly I made new friends and felt like I had a sense of belonging here. This was a very lovely surprise as I thought I might get lonely, however it’s been the opposite.
Another pleasant surprise was the enjoyment I felt living alone. I’ve never lived alone before and thought I’d find it challenging, however I enjoyed the silence and noticed how grateful I was for the little moments.
What did you learn?
Whatever goes on in the year, however exciting or boring it seems, there’s always something to learn. Something we didn’t know before and will help us in the future. It could be a learning about you - your likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, how you respond to different situations and how resilient you are. It could be a learning about a certain area of your life from work to relationships. What didn’t you realise at the beginning of the year? What can you take away from how things turned out?
I learnt that if you feel unhappy or stuck, you’re not fully living to your greatest potential, which isn’t good for you or anyone else. Only when you make big, bold changes towards your desires, do things really start to manifest for you.
I also learnt the power of intention is HUGE. I’ve been setting intentions for years now, however this year I focussed really hard on visualising and really feeling what my life would be like if I had everything I was asking for and believing it was possible. And it worked.
Who or what are you grateful for?
Recognise the things that made the year so great. It could be people who you met for the first time, or the ones who showed up as a support system or were a critical part of your proudest moments. It could be new habits you picked up that helped you manage your stress and wellbeing through the highs and lows. It could be something you’ve had or done for years but didn’t appreciate the significance of until now. Is there anything or anyone the year wouldn’t be the same without?
I’m grateful for my closest friends, I definitely reached some low points and my friends helped to lift me up and offer their support and wisdom. I don’t take for granted how much harder things would have been without them.
It’s the simple things in life that have the biggest impact for me, so a hug from someone you love can make a world of difference to how you’re feeling.
What message would you give to your January 2024 self?
This is a fun way to summarise the year, your growth and what you are taking from it. Looking back on who you were at the beginning of the year, what do you think she needs to know about the year you’ve just had? What are your words of wisdom?
You have already overcome challenges you thought would be impossible.
Keep being brave, keep being bold and don’t try to fit into the ‘norm’. Embrace being YOU.
Step into the unknown and out of your comfort zone, because it’s there your comfort zone will broaden.
Don’t stop chasing your dreams. Great things lie ahead!
What are you excited to continue exploring in 2025?
This isn’t a specific goal as much as looking at what you gained from the year and thinking about how you could build on it. Maybe you learned a new skill that you want to continue developing. Maybe you felt even more connected with your purpose and want to put that front and centre next year. What did you experience in 2024 that you’d like to weave into 2025?
I stopped dancing for a while and felt like I forgot who I was. This year I found my love for Ecstatic dance and 5Rhythms again; each dance helps me to feel even more embodied and alive. Next year I plan to continue dancing (and never stop)!
I’m at a phase of my life where I want to learn and grow, so I’m hoping to explore new modalities and continue working on my personal growth in 2025. I’d like to add more strings to my bow!
Running Women’s retreats feels so aligned with what I want to do, so I’m excited to plan more in 2025. Our October Transformational Women’s retreat was sooooo magical and a huge success, I feel it’s important for this work to be shared with more who feel called!
I’ve also been eager to expand my product range and I’m currently at the beginning stages of testing a new range of products - watch this space! Hopefully 2025 will be an exciting year for me personally and professionally.
Take this idea for an end-of-year reflection and make it your own. Cocooning yourself in the sound waves of singing bowls is such a special space. It gives you a great perspective on what you’ve done, what you want and where you’re going. Surrender to it, let the realisations come and recentre yourself.
If you would like to continue exploring sound healing and singing bowls in the new year, let’s get a consultation in the calendar. I’d love to share my knowledge with you, whether you’re building a set that supports your wellbeing and personal goals or a set that complements your work as a yoga teacher or holistic practitioner. You can book an online or in-person consultation or a beginner or advanced workshop.
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