Word of the Year Practice Prompts

A Wonderful Winter Solstice Activity

I’ve been utilizing the Word of the Year Journaling Practice for the past six years and it has quite literally changed my life in some fantastic and miraculous ways.

The following is an excerpt from the intro of my book Fragile Thoughts: A Healing Memoir.

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On the darkest day of the year in 2020, the winter solstice, I spent hours writing to discover my Word of the Year for 2021. I reflected on the challenges and the gifts of the pandemic year, writing about what I wanted to leave behind and what I wanted to bring into the new year.

This practice led to my word of 2021: Healing.

The simple goals I wrote down relating to this word focused on self-discovery and self-care, such as journal daily and read at least five books. A few days later, as if I manifested it, my yoga teacher at my home studio, Nectar, in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, called me with an offer: “I’m thinking of starting an online book club to keep clients engaged and practice svadhyaya.”

Svadhyaya (svad-YAH-yah) is a Sanskrit word often translated to self-study with a spiritual connection. “I think it’s more your thing. Want to run it?” she asked.

The alignment was clear, and I immediately agreed.

I ended up reading nineteen books that year, drastically surpassing my original goal, and journaled much of my life story, some of which is held in the following pages.

I’ve learned that serendipitous circumstances and synchronicities happen often if we open our eyes to notice them.

I had a speech impediment as a kid, so instead of talking much, I turned to writing. Writing was always a part of my life. It began as a way for me to communicate but became my go-to method to express emotions and process pain.

Through this creative outlet, I charted the connections between challenges and transitions in my life, and it led me to realize that each experience, even the most difficult, guided me to where I’m meant to be.

Writing helped me discover the serendipitous force behind my life, including being born with a speech impediment, which led to my love of writing. Without intention, I discovered more and deeper levels of peace while writing each page.

I came to understand the immense power of writing. It can help us transcend our traumas.

Starting in January 2021, I ran that online book club through my yoga studio. I called it a Learning Circle, a book club with a self-study twist. We focused on building courage, compassion, and connection while reflecting on the themes found in nonfiction works. The journey of self-discovery that took place in the Learning Circles was powerful, even life-changing.

Within the group setting, I felt safe enough to share the stories that shaped me, and that vulnerability was essential to my healing. But getting to the point of feeling comfortable enough to share my most intimate feelings and fragile thoughts took time and personal reflection. This is where writing is so helpful.

Writing our stories allows us to get familiar with our feelings and become comfortable with our shame by providing the space to understand it.

Only then can we feel empowered to truly share the intricacies of our deepest selves with others in a meaningful way. Within the Learning Circle, we used the author’s stories as a jumping-off point to help us connect with our own memories, histories, and experiences. I hope this book serves as a jumping-off point for you to dig deep within yourself and begin writing your origin stories. I want my svadhyaya practice to help you with yours.

We practiced additional yoga techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, and mindful movement, which enhanced our comfort and connection. As a yoga practitioner for the last ten years, I’ve experienced the true power of connecting mind, body, and spirit together.

Writing provides a similar link. When we use our physical body to write with a pen, our mental and emotional body is charged with thoughts and feelings being expressed on the page, and the whole process ignites our spiritual body, sparking intuition and creativity.

The relationship between yoga and writing, in my own experience, has been profound. The energy created from this combination of writing, storytelling, and yoga techniques created the deepest levels of healing I’ve ever experienced.

Although writing my origin story began as a part of my personal healing journey, the stars aligned to lead me to share with others what I have learned. I felt called to share my stories, and this road map for writing your own stories, so you can find peace and discover your purpose too.

This idea was sparked at the end of 2021 when journaling in my Word of the Year practice. I discovered the word Freedom and created goals around finding freedom from anxiety, from comparison, and from diminishing myself. In January 2022, I attempted to manifest my goals by sharing my dreams with the world.

This time, I wrote them publicly on LinkedIn: “2022 seems like a good year to make it happen, so I’m putting it out into the world: I want to publish my memoir.”

Within a month, I had found a network that led me to the publisher for this book. The synchronicities all point to writing as the key.

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As you can see, writing has always been crucial for my healing but the Word of the Year practice was a real game-changer. Finding a word of the year can help focus the mind, guide the spirit, and manifest your desired reality. I encourage you to give it a try! I’ll share my word of the year in next week’s post.

Journal Prompts:

1. First, reflect on 2024. What are you most proud of, who were you closest to, and what lessons did you learn? I review my camera roll and calendar to remind myself of the trips, events, and day-to-day experiences. It’s wild how much we forget! Take time to recall the highs and lows, the big and small experiences, the people who were there along the way, and the people who are no longer with you on your journey. Write about how this past year made you feel.

2. Once you feel ready to move on, consider what you want to move on from. What lessons do you not want to have to learn again? What feelings do you want to leave behind? Who do you want to be and how do you want people to feel when they are around you? What resources, tools, and people do you need around you to help you get there? Don’t forget to consider the boundaries you might need. Write out a few goals in the categories of mind, body, and spirit. Consider what you want in your home life, social life, work life, or financial life.

3. Re-read all you wrote so far and look for themes. A word or few should bubble to the surface and help tie it all together. The main question to answer is: How do you want to feel in the new year? This will be your word.

BONUS: Make some kind of totem to remind you of your word and put it in a place you’ll see often. This past year, my word was playfulness, so I painted a rock to look like a gnome. It’s been on my nightstand all year as a reminder. Whenever I have a choice to make, I ask myself: Which option will bring me more playfulness? What would the playful response be?

Join me for my next FREE Workshop - Wake Up & Write - on Friday, January 3 from 9am-945am EST. We'll begin with an activating body scan, then write with powerful prompts for starting the new year with eyes wide open, and end with a community share circle. No writing experience is necessary!

Fragile Thoughts: A Healing Memoir is available anywhere books are sold. My book was published in 2023 by New Degree Press and now the audiobook is live! I’d be honored if you checked it out.

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Thank you for reading Write to Heal. Please hit that heart button❤️if you made it this far and join me in the comments or chat to share your thoughts. I’d love to know about your Word of the Year practice or other winter solstice traditions.