The word for my new year

my birthday tin with a foam type thing in to stick flowers into. I love it!!  And I change the flowers often.

I've never done this before: have a meaningful word to guide me through a year. But this time, I am. 

I just could never understand how one could use a word and make it like a mantra for something. But, strangely, now I do. Of course there's a reason for this, my word turn around. It's quite simple really.

After a year of recovery from a very serious operation, and quite a few years sickness prior, I have decided that 2024 will be a year of Renew, for me. 

And what prompted this word was a visit to Renew skin clinic... but that is for another time. It deserves it's own post.

The Four Pillars of Health

So, what on earth would someone, me specifically, be renewing? Well, most things in my life, actually. I really go by the four pillars, or foundations, of health. It's from the Maori culture, and it is to do with the whole person, and knowing also that we are each part of the whole. 

* Physical Health

* Family and friends

* Psychological health which is both mental and emotional aspects

* Spiritual. Whatever this means to you

I'm looking at all four aspects for a balanced outlook and foundations for my life. For sure, we will always have some sort of imbalance, because..... we are only human.  And I am no different.  But I'm looking at things differently, and especially focusing on a couple of aspects.  

Social Health

I think that I'll include work here. Because as a yoga teacher, one's clients do end up becoming our friends. I'm only teaching one class a week. I don't want to do more, I've done my time here. And, I've decided to go with the Renew aspect with this class. We're all older, now, and I know tons of rejuvenating yoga. It's what kept me alive and able to function during all of those years of ill health. 

And I shall be doing more healing work - and I've been writing about the new directions here. My healing has dramatically changed. Gone up several notches. Lucky me. New changes here, very exciting. A major Renew going on.

Mental health

It was so difficult getting sicker and sicker over the years (see here). It really affected my brain, and therefore my mind, and thinking at the time. I was really aware of this. My yoga training definitely was what gave me the inner strength to find a way through it all. Plus my own determination (thank you, Mars in Scorpio on the Midheaven). It really wasn't easy, in fact at times it was downright scary. I'm really happy to say that I feel really renewed on this level. Or, should I say, I've come back to Me. Phew. What a relief. An even better Me, on the mental level. I intend to keep going with the Renew aspect, here. As we get older, this is so important. 

Spiritual

A fantastic astrologer, Hamish Saunders (RIP), told me, decades ago, that I would have two paths on life. I was not impressed, being such a dedicated Swami and all. Then, when I mysteriously found out that I was also a healer, I assumed that yoga and healing must be the two paths. But no. When I entered the world of Maori spirituality, I knew, deep in my heart, that this was the companion path to the yoga spirituality. I intend to get even deeper into the deepness of both paths, this year, and am really excited about this. 

Rejuvenation

Because of all that I went through, health-wise, for decades, I'm doing some revving up of the the ole body. I used some very old yoga concentration techniques that were for restoring body and mind, to keep me going when I was sick, and I know just how effective that they are. Hopefully, I'll share some in time. They are generally not known. 

I would really love to know if anyone has some unusual things that they have done to Renew themselves. We could be The Renew Girls!!!

Link here and here about new directions in healing

Link here to a post about the four pillars

Link to Global Unity Festivals on you tube, here. I'm in the Wave 1, Asia/Pacific episodes.

Link to my talks and meditations on Earth Elders: here.  Click "join" if you haven't already, then click the search icon there, and enter "Ratnamurti Saraswati".

Link to a post explaining Global Unity Festivals, here  

Also find me

** facebook

** swami ratnamurti/facebook

** twitter

** instagram

** pinterest

** spiritual blog