intentions

Word of the Year

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I believe wholeheartedly in the process of choosing a single word that becomes a thread to be woven throughout your life each year. This intention becomes part of you in thoughts, words and actions. This word of the year embodies your choices and actions.

Renewal is not merely a return to what once was but a conscious awakening—a reimagining of one's purpose and connection to the world.

Word of the Year

For over 25 years I have chosen a word of the year. I do this not to set goals or resolutions, but to instead weave a thread into the tapestry of my life. The choices and thoughts that I make need to align with my word. In the yoga world we call intention a sankalpa.

Sankalpa is a Sanskrit term in yogic philosophy that refers to a heartfelt desire, a solemn vow, an intention, or a resolve to do something. It is similar to the English concept of a resolution, except that it comes from even deeper within and tends to be an affirmation.

Choosing a word or sankalpa for your year gives you direction in which to lead your life. For 25 years I have chosen many different words and have taken action. I have worked on some great things over that time span and all of it has lead to some greatness! A few of my recent favorites have been: refinement, deliberate, bold, reverence, and limitless. My least favorites have been peace and equanimity as they were two of the hardest years of my life.

Word of the Year 2025–Renewal

2024 and all the physical challenges of the last decade cumulated with three hip surgeries. I am ready for a big shift in my life. To restore a freshness into my life much like we do as we renew our strength in sleep. I want to make new in how I self care, how I work, how I serve and how I love. In some sort of ways I feel regeneration is in the works.

To seek renewal is to embark on a deeply personal journey of rediscovery, shedding the weight of past burdens and embracing the boundless possibility of becoming whole again. It is a soulful act of nurturing the inner self, replenishing depleted wells of energy, faith, and hope. Renewal is not merely a return to what once was but a conscious awakening—a reimagining of one’s purpose and connection to the world. It is the quiet yet profound courage to step into the light after seasons of shadow, to reclaim joy, and to realign with the essence of who we are meant to be.

My ideas so far to finding renewal include:

  • Choosing quality over quantity as it relates to movement, friendships, hobbies and more.
  • Moving my habits to a more yin style and quiet space
  • Shifting my work from being so active and to more passive
  • Creating content that is meaningful and lasting

Reclaiming My Power is Key

Here is how I intend to do it:

  • Set Boundaries: Renewal often requires protecting your energy. Learn to say no without guilt.
  • Embrace Self-Acceptance: Let go of perfectionism and embrace the beauty of imperfection.
  • Make Daily Changes: Choose mindful activities rather than active activities when stressed.

Essential Oil Blend for Renewal

Each year crafting a custom blend to support my vision. Here is this year’s aroma blend to support my word of the year.

  • Basil: The Oil of Renewal. This essential oil supports a strengthened and renewed outlook to life.
  • Peppermint: The Oil of the Buoyant Heart. This oil supports optimism and rediscovering joy.
  • Red Mandarin: The Oil of Perspective. This oil helps to feel refreshed and joy in simple things.
  • Green Mandarin: The Oil of Potential. This oil gives feelings of wonder and hope.
  • Bergamot Mint: The Oil of a Revived Heart. This oil brings feelings of hope and openness.
  • Ravintsara: The Oil of Expansion. This oil helps to expand the mind and find flowing ideas.
  • Immersion Blend: The Blend of Renewal. This blend assists in a peaceful, renewed mind.
  • Rainbow Moonstone: The Stone of New Beginnings. A stone for new beginnings & inner growth.

Affirmations for 2025

Daily affirmations can reinforce my healing intentions. Here are a few I have chosen:

  • “I release the past and embrace renewal with open arms.”
  • “Healing is a journey, and I honor my progress every step of the way.”
  • “I am worthy of love, peace, and happiness.”
  • “My heart and mind are open to the beauty of new beginnings.”

What Will You Choose?

Follow along with me this year as I take action on my intention and renew areas of my life!

End of Year Ritual

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Every year I host an end of year ritual to release the year, look for lessons and growth, and find gratitude for what is. This year I was unable to host it so I recorded a sweet little ritual you can do in your own quiet space. I think reflecting on the year and closing it up is a powerful practice to then be open to new possibilities. Why carry over the things that no longer serve you into a new year?

An end-of-year releasing ritual can be a powerful practice for personal growth, emotional well-being, and setting intentions for the future.

Here are the key benefits:

Emotional Cleansing: Allows you to process and let go of emotional baggage, regrets, or disappointments from the year. Creates emotion space for new experiences.

Increased Clarity: Reflecting on the year helps identify patterns, lessons, and areas for growth. Clarifies what to release (habits, relationships, beliefs) and what to nurture moving forward

Stress Reduction: Symbolically releasing stress or negativity can bring a sense of relief and renewal. Encourages mindfulness and relaxation, reducing end-of-year tension.

Enhanced Gratitude: Reflecting on the past year often highlights moments of joy and gratitude. Focusing on what you value reinforces positive emotions and appreciation.

Intentional Goal-Setting: Letting go of what no longer serves you creates space for setting meaningful goals for the new year. Helps align actions with your values and aspirations.

Symbolic Closure: Provides a sense of completion, signaling the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. Helps prevent carrying unresolved issues into the new year.

Spiritual Renewal: For those who are spiritually inclined, rituals can provide a sense of connection with something greater, enhancing inner peace and guidance.

You can find the video below, or on my youtube channel. Listen to it while you are still, or while you enjoy a walk outside. Either way I hope it brings you closure and hope.

I personally couldn’t have made it through this hard year without all of the love from my friends, my family, my community of people, and those who I don’t even know.

The generosity of love, support, coffee, encouragement, and pure goodness takes my breath away.

I truly couldn’t have made it without you.

Thank you and let’s close this awful chapter and turn a page for a new direction filled with hope, opportunities and joy.

xo, Stacie

Setting Intentions

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Setting intentions means deliberately choosing and articulating your focus, goals, or desired outcomes. It’s a purposeful act that guides your thoughts, actions, and energy toward a specific purpose or way of being. Unlike goals, intentions are more about your mindset, values, and the energy you wish to bring into a situation.

If you’ve been hanging around me or watching from afar you know I am a HUGE believer in being intentional. Start with a word then begin to think, speak and act in alignment with that word.

Watch this to learn more.

Reflect and Set An Intention

Take some time this week to reflect on this year. Look for the lessons and blessings that came. Then, sit with what kind of life you’d like to create. Try to whittle the essence of that life into a single word.

To Bloom

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Have you ever spent time looking at a flower that is about to bloom?  The rose that is still tight in a bud?  The daisy that is closed and not yet in full happiness mode? Whichever flower you have gazed at has spent months growing into what was about to happen.  Day after day this amazing form of life kept the course of growth, never wavering despite the external elements.

Here we are halfway through the year and if you are like me, you might be thinking about that intention you set back in January.  You know, when the year felt fresh and new?  And yet, it was during the heart of winter you were thinking about growing your goals and dreams.

Here we are in the start of the growing season and it is a great time to look at your intention again and see if some of those seeds you planted in the dormant season have started to take shape into small shoots of growth.  Seeing the beginnings of growth is a great motivator to keep going because in time, the bloom will come.

For me, I am reviewing all of my goals; business goals and personal goals.  I am looking at the areas in my life that I have succeeded, and areas that I have developed some gaps, and how I can fill them in.

As I plan to teach the concept of blooming this month  I am going to return to nature time and time again to be both marveled and motivated.

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