49
A Soulful Year by Heather Plett A mandala workbook for ending one year and welcoming another.

A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

  • Upload
    others

  • View
    1

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

A Soulful Year˝

by Heather Plett

A mandala workbook for ending one year and welcoming another.

Page 2: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

A Soulful Year˝Introduction

Release, receive, return.

That’s what the labyrinth teaches us when we walk it. The walk to the centre is the releasing (or “purgation”) when we shed the cares and distractions of life and open our hearts and minds. At the center is the receiving (or “illumination”) where we connect with the Divine in us and receive what is there for us. On the way out is the returning (or “union”), when we bring whatever we have received out into the world to serve alongside the healing forces at work in the world.

A labyrinth walk - whether virtual or literal - is the perfect way to transition from one year to the next.

This workbook serves as a kind of virtual labyrinth walk. By following the prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning to continue to serve the world with whatever gifts you have been given.

By the end of it, you will have healthy closure, new intentions based on your strength and passion, and a strong plan for fulfilling those intentions.

Unlike annual plans and New Year’s resolutions that often fail because they emerge out of your failures and pressure to improve yourself, A Soulful Year invites you to do your planning based on your gifts and your heart’s desires. It is an intuitive, heart-based process that guides you in the direction of your calling rather than making you feel guilty for all that you should be doing.

heatherplett.com --- page 2

Page 3: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

• Instead of setting yourself up for failure, you'll be opening yourself to possibility.

• Instead of creating conditions for guilt and shame, you'll be creating conditions for grace and growth.

• Instead of trying to fit your planning into unnatural square boxes, you'll be thinking outside the box with spirals and mandalas.

• Instead of putting pressure on yourself to prove your worth, you'll be stepping into that which gives you delight and courage.

Making Mandalas

The prompts in this workbook use the mandala as their frame. Like the labyrinth, the mandala teaches us to release, receive and return.

“Mandala” is sanskrit for “circle”, “essence”, or “container”. Mandalas are both simple and complex, and that’s what makes them fascinating. They are as simple as a circle and as complex as an intricate labyrinthian pathway to Spirit. Mandalas are meditation, ritual, therapy, art-making, and spiritual journeying.

These prompts were specially designed for this workbook, based on the work I have done with Mandala Discovery, inviting people into a place that is half journaling and half mandala-making - what I call mandala journaling.

Journaling is a powerful tool, but sometimes when we get too stuck in words, we get trapped in left brain thinking. Our left brain wants to define things, give them logic. Words are firmly rooted in the left brain - they serve as boxes for ideas - ways to give them logic and meaning. Those boxes often trap us in limited thinking.

Shifting into mandala journaling, where words emerge only as part of (and often secondary to) colour and shape and circle (all right brain concepts), we integrate our left brain thinking with our right brain thinking, and new pathways emerge in our brains. Surprises show up that take us to deeper

heatherplett.com --- page 3

Page 4: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

understanding when our right brain has space to influence and shape the journey our left brain takes.

Mandala Journaling - The Practice

I invite you to create space for your right brain to play, explore, learn, and engage with mandala journaling. As you begin this new practice, I encourage you to keep these guidelines in mind:

1. Don’t over-think what you’re putting on the page. The best way to make a mandala is to use an intuitive, spontaneous process of simply allowing whatever wants to show up next to show up. You will learn more by allowing this intuitive process to happen than by trying to direct it.

2. It’s about the process, not the product. Your mandalas are not meant to be works of art. You are not creating a product, but rather you are engaging your creative mind in a process of discovery and personal exploration. In many traditions (such as Tibetan sand mandalas) the mandala-makers are quite intentional about destroying their creation once it is complete, which can be a meaningful practice in non-attachment to the product.

3. There is no “wrong” way to do this. Use the instructions in this workbook as a guideline, but make them your own and adapt as you wish. Come up with your own ideas, and don’t let yourself be limited by a certain expectation of what it should look like. Sometimes you’ll end up with a mandala that seems unattractive to your eye. There is a lesson to be learned even in that process. Just let it happen.

4. Find a space and time that works for you. Mandala-making is a powerful meditative process, and to get the most of it, I encourage you to find quiet spaces and times in your schedule when you can still your mind and be free from interruptions.

5. To find meaning in what you’ve created, simply sit in inquiry with your mandala. As I said before, don’t over-think it, simply be curious. Ask yourself questions such as “What feelings did this process evoke in me? What came up that surprised me? Is there a greater sense of clarity in any

heatherplett.com --- page 4

Page 5: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

1. area of my life after doing the mandala?” If no answers come, simply let it go and walk away. Something may come to you later, or perhaps it will remain in your subconscious mind and you’ll never fully be able to articulate it. Remember that you have evoked your right brain thinking and there are not always words to attach to what is going on there.

For several of the exercises in this workbook, you’ll be provided with a couple of template options on which to do the work. One of the templates fills in some of the details for you and is quite specific to the way the prompt has been written. The other template is less developed for those who want to adapt the prompt in their own way.

What you’ll need: • a pen or pencil • markers (I prefer Sharpie markers, but others work fine) • crayons (pencil crayons work best) • scissors • sticky-tack (or other reuseable/moveable adhesive) • ruler • a large piece of poster board or flipchart/art paper (at least 2’ x 2’)

Enjoy the process and may it bless your new year!

heatherplett.com --- page 5

Page 6: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Before you begin - a blessing

For a New Beginning

In out-of-the-way places of the heart,Where your thoughts never think to wander,This beginning has been quietly forming,Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire,Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,Noticing how you willed yourself on,Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safetyAnd the gray promises that sameness whispered,Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,Wondered would you always live like this.

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,And out you stepped onto new ground,Your eyes young again with energy and dream,A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not yet clearYou can trust the promise of this opening;Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginningThat is at one with your life’s desire.

Awaken your spirit to adventure;Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,For your soul senses the world that awaits you.

John O’Donohue

heatherplett.com --- page 6

Page 7: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Exercise 1 - Stepping into the Labyrinth

To start this process, I invite you into the labyrinth. If you have a walkable one near you, take some time to walk it. If you don’t have one available to you or you don’t have the mobility required, do a finger labyrinth on page 8.

There aren’t any “rules” for labyrinth walking.

It’s simply a matter of following a path, one step (or finger move) after another. Don’t put any pressure on yourself to “do it right” - just do it. I offer you some guidelines, but the walk is your own, so do what feels right.

Sit silently for awhile before you enter, taking a few slow, deep breaths as you prepare yourself. Calm your mind and your body. If you’re feeling stress or your body is offering resistance, you may want to do a few gentle yoga stretches first.

If you wish, you can choose a mantra that you will repeat to yourself to bring your mind back to the present as you “walk”, but if you do so, keep it simple and make it something that opens your mind to possibilities rather than restricts it. For example, something like “I am ready to receive” creates more of an opening than “I need an answer to a specific question.”

When you are ready, simply follow the path.

Trust that it will take you where you need to go. On the way inward, focus on releasing whatever burdens you are carrying. If it helps, visualize yourself laying burdens down along the path, like pebbles that mark the place where you’ve been but that you no longer need to be attached to. Whatever has stressed you out this past year, whatever relationships are falling apart, whatever failures you’ve been through - set them down on the path. If that feels hard, tell yourself that you can always pick them up on the way back out, but for now you don’t need them on your shoulders. If it helps, speak your release intentions out loud... “I am releasing the stress over Mom’s illness. I am releasing my need to control my failing relationship. I am releasing my worries over my son’s addictions.”

When you reach the centre, pause in silence.

heatherplett.com --- page 7

Page 8: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Remember what Rumi says... “silence is the language of god, all else is poor translation.” In our busy lives, we forget to seek the silence into which God can speak. We forget to listen for the wisdom deep within our hearts that can’t be heard above the din.

Simply sit and listen in the silence. You might have profound realizations, or you might not. There might be some resolution to a problem you’ve been carrying, or there might not be. Don’t place too high an expectation on this time. If you cling too hard to a need for something profound to happen, there’s a good chance that it won’t. Just be open. Sometimes you’ll hear nothing but silence. Trust that that is enough.

When you are ready, begin the exit out of the labyrinth.

This is the time of returning - bringing the gifts back into the world. If you received some wisdom at the centre, you are bringing that back and opening yourself to how you’re meant to share it. If you received only silence, that’s all you need to bring back.

The returning takes the act of labyrinth-walking out of a self-focused place into a world-focused place. We do the internal work of releasing and receiving in order that we can offer light and grace to the world.

Once you have walked the labyrinth, you are ready for the other prompts in this workbook.

heatherplett.com --- page 8

Page 9: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Follow the path with your finger. On the way in, release. At the centre, receive. On the way out, return.

heatherplett.com --- page 9

Page 10: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Exercise 2 - Releasing the Year that’s Passing

We can't control the past, nor is it healthy to let it control us. Growth pulls us forward into the future, and if we cling too tightly to the baggage of the past, the weight of it keeps us trapped.

That being said... the past has much to teach us, and the most healthy way to honour the past is to reflect on it, ask what it wishes to teach us, and then choose the stories we wish to carry forward.

As you reflect on the year that’s passing, ask yourself a few questions:- What do I need to learn from this year?- What do I wish to release as I move forward into the next year?- What has been offered to me as gifts this year?- What struggles have served as my teachers?- What am I grateful for?

To begin your reflection mandala, draw a large circle, with a smaller circle in the centre. (Or use the template on page 12.) In the small circle at the centre, write the year that’s passing.

Divide the large circle into 4 quadrants.

Write the words “Grace, Gratitude, Growth, and Grief" in each of the 4 quadrants. The four words have some balance to them, reflecting on both the positives and the negatives, the shadows and the light. (Note: You can choose other words, if you wish. Another suggestion might be the phrases "What made me happy”, “what made me sad”, “what stretched me”, and “what I

heatherplett.com --- page 10

Page 11: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

succeeded in". If you wish to do so, use the template on page 13.)

Often we get stuck in a certain story for the year.

For example, I spent a lot of time in grief in 2013, having lost my mom just before the year began. In ending that year I could get lost in that grief and assume that it was the only story of the year, or I could choose to see the grace, gratitude and growth that were also part of the story. That doesn't diminish the grief or brush it aside, but it gives hope and purpose that helps me move forward.

Starting in one of the quadrants, write one sentence or phrase that represents how that theme showed up for you in the past year. Turn the page and write one in the next, and so on. Writing one at a time in each quadrant rather than filling each quadrant before moving to the next helps you move through the cycles of emotions and not get stuck in one space.

You may find that one story shows up in multiple quadrants. For example, my husband had a heart attack in 2013, and that showed up in my grief quadrant, but the fact that he is still alive showed up in my gratitude quadrant.

After you have filled all of the quadrants, spend some contemplative time colouring the space, honouring the stories that filled your year, and releasing them as you step forward into the next year. You may wish to spend time in meditation or prayer, reflecting on the year and being intentional about what you wish to carry forward.

heatherplett.com --- page 11

Page 12: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Option 1: Write the year that is passing in the centre circle. Reflect on the year that is passing and fill in each quadrant with the moments when you experienced each

theme.

heatherplett.com --- page 12

Page 13: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Option 2: Choose your own themes for each of the four quadrants that reflect the year that is passing. Fill in the quadrant with the relevant stories.

heatherplett.com --- page 13

Page 14: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Exercise 3 - The Cycle of the Seasons

Our years are much more cyclical than the square boxes on a calendar would suggest.

In our post-industrial-era culture, we have become more and more removed from the cycles of the earth. Most of us live in climate-controlled buildings in big cities where fresh fruits and vegetables are available to us at all times regardless of the season. We forget our reliance on the earth and we fall out of line with the cycles of the year.

This mandala prompt invites you to consider how the seasons impact you and how you might live out the year in a deeper relationship with the earth and her cyclical nature.

Divide your circle into 4 quadrants. Then draw a small circle at the centre and another circle between the largest and smallest circle. (Or use the template on page 16.)

Write the four seasons in each of the quadrants in the smallest circle.

In the next circle (moving outward) write all of the words that you can think of that reflect that season - the moods you typically experience, the foods you like to eat, the way the temperature feels, what activities you like to do, etc.

In the largest piece of each quadrant, write the following heading (with the corresponding

heatherplett.com --- page 14

Page 15: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

journaling along the curve, fill the space with intuitive writing about what you wish for that season to bring into your life in the coming year.

Let the words that you associated with that season impact what you invite into it. Let the season itself influence what will unfold. If, for example, winter is typically a time when things move more slowly, then acknowledge that in your invitation.

After you’re finished adding words, add colour and design to your seasonal mandala.

heatherplett.com --- page 15

Page 16: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Option 1: Write the seasons in the quadrants of the smallest circle. In the middle quadrants, write the words that reflect that season. In the outside quadrants, journal about what you are inviting, based on what that season normally brings.

Colour and decorate it.

heatherplett.com --- page 16

Page 17: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Option 2: Create your own seasonal mandala, with the instructions from option 1 as guidelines. Colour and decorate it.

heatherplett.com --- page 17

Page 18: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Exercise 4 - Your Longings & Word for the Year

What are you longing for?

Many of us were raised with healthy distrust for our longings. In my upbringing, longings were often considered the same thing as temptations, and we were to avoid temptation lest it lead to sin. But what if we flip that belief on its head? What if we believe that our longings are the voices of our truest hearts calling us back to ourselves?

What if our longings lead us to the Divine?

"Let yourself feel your deep desire right now. Desire is the call of your incarnate soul, and a messenger of your Sacred self." ~Hiro Boga

Your longing is not wrong or shameful - it’s a road map to your heart.

In this mandala, you are invited to be honest about what you are longing for and how these longings might shape the year ahead of you.

Place your hand inside the circle. Draw an outline of your hand. At the centre of your hand (and the centre of the circle) draw a smaller circle. (Template on page 20.)

Following the outline of your hand, begin to write intuitively, starting with the words “I am longing for...” Be as honest as you can be about what you desire in the year ahead. Don’t censor yourself - simply let your heart speak to you through your longings.

heatherplett.com --- page 18

Page 19: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Once you’re finished, choose a single word that most clearly reflects your longings. This word may have emerged while you were writing, or it may be something that comes to you when you re-read your words. (When I was doing it, it showed up in the final sentence I wrote and it was instantly clear to me that it was the focus of all that I had written.)

Write the word that emerges in the centre of the small circle. Consider that your word for the year - the one word that emerges out of your longings that will shape the way you choose to live and serve in the year to come.

You may wish to find more ways of honouring your word for the year. For example, print it on a rock that you keep close to you. Or make a necklace with the word (or have it made - there are options on Etsy) that you can wear to remind you of what your focus is for the year. Or cut out the mandala and hang it on your wall close to where you work.

Let your longing be your guide.

heatherplett.com --- page 19

Page 20: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Outline your hand in the circle. Following the outline of your hand, journal about what you are longing for. Choose one word that reflects your longings and write it

in the small circle at the centre.

heatherplett.com --- page 20

Page 21: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Exercise 5 - What is Unfolding?

When you consider the longing that you expressed in the last mandala, and the word that emerged at the centre, what wants to unfold in your life as a result?

In this mandala exercise, we will use the blossoming lotus as the frame for exploring what wants to unfold.

In many mandalas that emerge out of Eastern traditions (Buddhism, Hinduism), an unfolding lotus is central to the design. The bud of the lotus symbolizes potential, specifically of a spiritual nature. Because the lotus rises from unclean water to blossom as a pure, uncontaminated flower, it is a symbol of purity, resurrection, and an offering to the divine.

In this exercise, we will create a eight-petaled lotus (which, in Buddhist mandalas, represents cosmic harmony) and each of the eight petals will represent something that is unfolding in our lives.

There are two ways to do this:

Option 1: Draw your own unfolding lotus (as demonstrated in the image on this page). Start at the centre and create a flower with eight petals. (The petals are shaped like brackets - “}”.) Let it grow from there, adding layer after layer of petals until you reach the outer circle. (Template on page 24)

Option 2: Use the colouring page on page 23. Starting at the centre, colour the lotus design (pencil crayons work well for this, but you can choose your own

heatherplett.com --- page 21

Page 22: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

medium). As you colour, empty your mind and simply meditate on the unfolding of the flower.

Choose whatever colours you wish. If you find meaning in the colours of the chakras, you could use those, or simply choose them intuitively without attaching meaning to them.

Once you reach the largest petals, write the words of eight areas of unfolding in your life.

Let these emerge intuitively, grounded in the longing that you expressed in the last exercise. They may be about your work, relationships, personal practice, family dynamics, living situation, etc.

These are your intentions for the year.

In the one I shared in the above image, I focused primarily on my growing business and how I wish to support that (because it’s what I’m currently most focused on), but I would encourage you to make it broader in order to cover all areas of your life.

If, for example, I were to share the same mandala from the year before, you would see quite different intentions. My mom had just died a month before the year ended and I knew I needed to allow my grief and changed family dynamic to be part of what would unfold.

One of the intentions I included this year is more about me getting pleasure out of life than about accomplishing the work I’m focused on. It’s “travel”. Knowing myself as well as I do, I acknowledge the fact that I am not happy unless I have a few trips planned throughout the year. Yes, this may happen as a side benefit of my work, but I wanted to be intentional about it and not simply assume that it will happen, so I made it into one of my unfolding petals.

Not every intention on your lotus should be altruist and outward-serving. Some of it should be about self-care, healing, and personal growth.

heatherplett.com --- page 22

Page 23: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Option 1: Colour the mandala. In each of the eight large petals, write a word about something that is unfolding in your life that will impact the coming year.

heatherplett.com --- page 23

Page 24: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Option 2: Create your own lotus mandala. Starting at the centre point, draw a flower with eight petals. Keep adding rings of petals until you reach the outer edge. In

each of the petals, write what is unfolding.

heatherplett.com --- page 24

Page 25: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Exercise 6: Moving from Intention into Action

While we embrace the organic unfolding of our lives, we must also acknowledge the importance of being intentional about supporting the unfolding. This requires action and commitment.

The labyrinth journey does not invite us to stay forever at the centre. Instead it invites us to return to the world with the gifts we received. This requires us to move forward, to take one step after another and re-emerge from the path with commitment and energy to heal our own lives and to serve the world.

In this labyrinth, we will consider what actions are required in order to support each of the eight intentions for the year.

At the centre of the circle, draw a small circle and inside it write the word that emerged in the exercise about your longing (the word at the centre of your hand). (Template options on page 27 and 28.)

Divide the circle into eight pie slices and within each slice draw a small circle. (Or use the templates.) In those eight circles, write the words of intention that showed up in your lotus petals in the last exercise.

Consider what actions will be required in order to support each of those eight intentions. Fill each of the slices with as many actions as you can think of that you will need to commit time and energy to in the

heatherplett.com --- page 25

Page 26: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

coming year. Colour each of the slices a different colour. (Or use the coloured template on page 27.)

Keep in mind that this is an organic process. This is not about setting you up for failure with a long to-do list that you won’t be able to live up to. Instead it is about setting intentions and taking concrete action to support your longings.

Some of the actions may be in the form of questions. For example, one of my intentions is “space”, which is about finding the right office/studio/teaching space for my growing business. I don’t know whether that will mean renting an office/studio or moving with my family to a house that has that kind of space available. One of the actions is to seek out options and another is to make a decision about the best option that will serve my work and my family.

Remember to also include those actions that will feed your spirit as you do the work. For example, in the action items for finding my business space, I included a plan to hold a blessing ceremony for that space.

heatherplett.com --- page 26

Page 27: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Option 1: Write your word for the year at the centre. Write each of your intentions in the eight circles. In the pie slice, writing from inside out, write the actions that will

support that intention.

heatherplett.com --- page 27

Page 28: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Option 2: Decorate your own intentions mandala. Write your word for the year at the centre. Write each of your lotus petal words in the eight circles. In the pie slice,

writing from inside out, write the actions that will support that intention.

heatherplett.com --- page 28

Page 29: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Exercise 7: Planning the year

The next step will be to lay out the action items of the last mandala into a plan for the year.

Once again, we are acknowledging that the year is a cycle rather than a linear path and we are creating an annual plan as a circle.

• To fit your entire plan onto one mandala, you will need a large piece of paper (poster board, for example).

• Draw as large a circle as you can on your paper. (The one you see in the image on this page is 2 feet across.) At the centre, draw a small circle.

• Inside the small circle at the centre, write the year and your word for the year.

• Divide the circle into 12 pie pieces (or make them into flower petals) - one for each year. One way of doing this would be to cut out the circle on page 32, glue it to the centre of your large paper, and extend the lines to the outer edge of the circle. Or perhaps a local print shop could print the template onto large paper. Or simply make your own, as I did in the photo on this page. (To

heatherplett.com --- page 29

Page 30: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

• make a circle, place a pin at the centre, tie a string to the pin and tie a pencil to the other end of the string, making the string the length of the circle’s radius. Holding the pin in place, move the pencil around the circle.)

• Once you have the circle divided, write the months (in order) in each of the pie pieces or flower petals. (As seen on page 32.)

• Transfer all of the action items from each of the pie pieces in the last mandala onto small circles (on pages 33-36). Each pie piece has circles of corresponding colours in the pages that follow. (Or you can colour your own with the circles on page 36.) If, for example, your intention is about writing a book (as one of mine is) and the colour of that pie piece is yellow, then transfer all of the action items associated with it onto yellow circles.

• Use one circle of each colour to create a legend on the side (as I have done in the photo on page 29), with the words that correspond with that unfolding intention. This will make it easier to see at a glance what each action item corresponds with. (Note: I created my circle on white poster board and then glued it onto black poster board to create a sturdy poster to hang on my wall.)

• Once you have all of the action items transferred onto small circles, cut them out and begin to arrange them on the mandala based on what time of year would be best to take that action.

Important: Do not use glue to adhere the circles to the mandala. Instead, use sticky-tack or some other adhesive that will allow you to move the action item at any time.

It is essential that your year remains fluid and that you can move the action items around as circumstances change in your life. You might have a family tragedy or relationship shift, for example, that will require that you put everything on hold for awhile. If that happens, you can simply move the circles further along in the cycle and give yourself the needed space, instead of assuming you have failed at fulfilling your plan.

heatherplett.com --- page 30

Page 31: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Be intentional about creating empty space.

As you can see in my example on page 29, I have left open spaces in July and December, as I am being intentional about slowing down at those times of the year. The only thing that’s in the July slice is about my intention to take some time off with my family and travel somewhere. In December I have left open space so that I can catch up on what wasn’t completed earlier in the year and be intentional about planning the following year.

If you have things that you need to do throughout the year that do not fit into the categories you’ve established, make circles for them as well. (You could do this in a 9th colour labeled “miscellaneous” or “ongoing duties”. There are blank circles on page 35 and 36 for that purpose.) For example, I used to teach university classes each year in Winter and early Spring, and although that wasn't specifically part of my unfolding intentions, I needed to acknowledge that it took a fair amount of time and I had to create space for it.

Once your annual plan is complete, find some place to display it (on your office wall, kitchen cupboards, etc.) so that you can continue to use it as a reminder of the intentions you have set in order to fulfill your longings.

Make it a living, fluid document that supports your work and helps you reach your goals.

(Note: If there are not enough small circles of any colour, simply copy or reprint that page. Also, cut out all of the blank circles and keep them in an envelope along with your plan so that you can add more action items as the need unfolds throughout the year.)

heatherplett.com --- page 31

Page 32: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

JanuaryFebruary

March

April

May

June

July

August September

October

November

December

Use this as a template to create a large mandala for the coming year. Place the small circles with action items in the appropriate months.

heatherplett.com --- page 32

Page 33: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

heatherplett.com --- page 33

Page 34: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

heatherplett.com --- page 34

Page 35: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

heatherplett.com --- page 35

Page 36: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

heatherplett.com --- page 36

Page 37: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

Exercise 8: Monthly plans

On the following pages, you will find a mandala for each month.

At the beginning of each month, review the action items on your yearly plan. Consider whether these still need to happen in this month or if you need to redistribute them. You may also need to bring some items into the month that weren’t there before.

Move action items around so that the month feels right to you, with the appropriate balance of work and play.

At the start of the month, you can either choose to use your word for the year for that month (and place it at the centre of that month’s circle template on the following pages) or do exercise 4 again and choose a word that reflects that month’s emerging desires.

Writing from the centre out, add each action item from your annual plan onto the date you hope to complete it.

Consider the smaller actions that need to be taken to support that action and add those into the appropriate dates. For example, one of my action items is “write book”. That will take many days of work, so I will break that down over several months, carving out dedicated writing time each day. In those months, I will write “4 hours of writing time” into the dates where it fits.

Add as many of the other things that you will do in that month, including household tasks like grocery shopping and housecleaning. Also include self-care and relaxation time, remembering to be intentional about giving yourself that space.

This can be a working document that can be added to throughout the month. As much as possible, keep it simple and balanced.

Add any embellishments (colour, design, etc.) to your month that you wish. Display it on your wall or bulletin board or keep it on your desk close to where you work.

heatherplett.com --- page 37

Page 38: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

January

12

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14151617

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2930

31

heatherplett.com --- page 38

In each pie slice (writing from inside out) write the actions that you plan for that date. Add your word for the year (or for this month) to the centre circle.

Page 39: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

February

12

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

131415

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

2728

heatherplett.com --- page 39

In each pie slice (writing from inside out) write the actions that you plan for that date. Add your word for the year (or for this month) to the centre circle.

Page 40: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

12

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14151617

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2930

31

March

heatherplett.com --- page 40

In each pie slice (writing from inside out) write the actions that you plan for that date. Add your word for the year (or for this month) to the centre circle.

Page 41: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

April

12

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

141516

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

2829

30

heatherplett.com --- page 41

In each pie slice (writing from inside out) write the actions that you plan for that date. Add your word for the year (or for this month) to the centre circle.

Page 42: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

May

12

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14151617

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2930

31

heatherplett.com --- page 42

In each pie slice (writing from inside out) write the actions that you plan for that date. Add your word for the year (or for this month) to the centre circle.

Page 43: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

June

12

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

141516

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

2829

30

heatherplett.com --- page 43

In each pie slice (writing from inside out) write the actions that you plan for that date. Add your word for the year (or for this month) to the centre circle.

Page 44: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

July

12

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14151617

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2930

31

heatherplett.com --- page 44

In each pie slice (writing from inside out) write the actions that you plan for that date. Add your word for the year (or for this month) to the centre circle.

Page 45: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

August

12

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14151617

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2930

31

heatherplett.com --- page 45

In each pie slice (writing from inside out) write the actions that you plan for that date. Add your word for the year (or for this month) to the centre circle.

Page 46: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

September

12

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

141516

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

2829

30

heatherplett.com --- page 46

In each pie slice (writing from inside out) write the actions that you plan for that date. Add your word for the year (or for this month) to the centre circle.

Page 47: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

October

12

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14151617

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2930

31

heatherplett.com --- page 47

In each pie slice (writing from inside out) write the actions that you plan for that date. Add your word for the year (or for this month) to the centre circle.

Page 48: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

November

12

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

141516

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

2829

30

heatherplett.com --- page 48

In each pie slice (writing from inside out) write the actions that you plan for that date. Add your word for the year (or for this month) to the centre circle.

Page 49: A Soulful Year˝ · prompts in its pages, you will be releasing whatever you need to let go of from the last year, receiving whatever wisdom you need to move forward, and then returning

December

12

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14151617

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2930

31

heatherplett.com --- page 49

In each pie slice (writing from inside out) write the actions that you plan for that date. Add your word for the year (or for this month) to the centre circle.