make stillness your intention for 2026
In a world that does not stop, stillness is our refuge and our rebellion. Stillness is not about inaction or slowing progress, it’s about finding contemplation and intention prior to making our next moves.
Stillness looks a bit different for everybody. For some people it’s meditation, for others, it could be a solo walk or a digital detox. It’s the action of tuning out the external noise and tuning into your own feelings and the present moment. If we are constantly focused on what is going on around us, we are less likely to notice what’s going on inside of us. Stillness invites us to reconnect with those parts of ourselves that whisper. It encourages us to tap back into our intuition and inner knowing so that we can make informed and aligned decisions and actions.
It’s loud out there, y’all. 2025 was a wild year for humanity. The news cycle and scroll feed just keeps on updating, and we’re left feeling a little more disconnected and disheartened. The answers to our problems and challenges won’t be found outside of ourselves. They’re woven into our emotions and our habits, and it’s in that same place that we will find the solutions and healing. Give yourself the gift of a self-connection practice as we head into 2026. Give yourself the right to quiet and intentional moments that recharge and refresh you. Revel in the opportunity to get to know yourself on a deeper level, and above all, do it in a way that feels right for you.
While meditation comes easily for some people, it can also be very difficult for others. Everyone benefits when we stop overcomplicating meditation. The practice is completely unique to the individual and should be treated as such. It ain’t that deep! I mean, looking inward is deep, but the process of how you get there doesn’t have to be:
1) Start by turning off technology. This is a very important step since our phones often don’t leave our side. Listening to music or a guided meditation is fine, otherwise, the phone is off and maybe not even in the same room as you.
2) Find somewhere quiet where you can be alone and undisturbed.
3) Get comfortable. If you want to lie down, lie down! If you want to sit on the floor or on a chair, have at it. It’s going to be hard to meditate if you are uncomfortable, so make comfort a priority.
4) Close down your eyes, take a few breaths, and just notice how that feels. Don’t overcomplicate it! Your breath is a tool that continuously takes you back to the present moment and your body. It’s also a tool that goes where you go. You don’t need to remember to charge it or pack it. Just breathe and see how it feels.
5) If your mind wanders, who cares! Maybe you explore some of those thoughts. If you don’t want to explore those thoughts, use your breath to release them without judgement and with compassion.
6) Keep coming back to yourself! Whether you sit by yourself for two minutes or for twenty minutes, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you took the time, any time, to just be alone and listen to yourself. See where the adventure of quiet and intentional moments takes you.
If meditation does not work for you, that’s okay! Instead, try to go for a walk and focus on your steps and breath or sit in a relaxing bath, noticing your calm and relaxation. There are so many modalities to find self-connection. Even modalities that involve movement are great methods. Yoga, running, exercise — really any type of mindful movement can help people find self-connection. Find what works for you, and do it, over and over again. We are never done checking in with ourselves. Just like we are never done doing the dishes or showering, checking in on our feelings and well-being is never done or over with. It’s all a part of our life’s work to stay in connection with ourselves and our needs.
In 2026, we can choose to make presence a priority. The present moment is all we really have. We can replay the past on repeat in our minds, but there is no way to return. We can envision made-up scenarios of what the future holds, but it’s likely not going to turn out how we imagine. The present is here, and it is now. The present is where we hold our power. Our choices in the present have impact. We can’t do anything about last week or last month, but we can do something about today. The today version of you is the one actively experiencing present life. The today version of you matters.
When we can be in the present, we start to notice things. We notice the sounds, smells and sights around us, and we notice the feelings within us that might otherwise be suppressed or disregarded. We notice things we might otherwise miss when we are focused on other external factors. There is wisdom in all of us. Our intuition is always telling us things, but if the outside noise is too loud, we are unable to hear its guidance and consider its perspective. Find yourself in the presence of today and listen to yourself wholeheartedly. What are your truest innermost desires? Identify them with honesty and authenticity. Allow that place of compassion and kindness for yourself be from where your resolutions and intentions grow. They don’t need to come from a place of frustration or regret. You are allowed to desire better things for yourself. Whether it be a better job, a more connected relationship or a more enjoyable daily routine, you have a right to pursue the best, most authentic version of yourself.
When setting New Years resolutions, we are often focused on the actions. And while action is great and necessary, we don’t always know what path we are going to take. Stillness and internal connection allows us to flow with our resolutions and objectives. A lot of the time, our resolutions and goals are meant to evolve and change as we evolve and change. Stillness helps to guide your path so that you can observe and decide what to do next, instead of forcing something that might not be working or isn’t meant to be. Focus on today. Focus on what feels right and what feels intentional. We must take the time to be still and contemplate, and we must take the time to take aligned action. Stillness and action complement and complete each other.
So, how can we best support ourselves and our intentions throughout 2026? The number one factor to your success will be your ability to keep going. Even through adversity and setbacks, and very nonlinear progress, you keep going. Slow and steady really does win the race. Most New Year’s resolutions fizzle out by February, often due to too intense or too difficult of goals. Start slow and start small, and watch what grows from there. When your garden starts to sprout in the spring, do you shame the sprout for not being a flower yet? Absolutely not, you celebrate the green little sprout knowing that if you just keep watering it and nurturing it, eventually it will grow into its full expression. You are also a little sprout, and you deserve to be watered and nurtured so that you can grow into your full expression, too. No little win or step in the right direction is too small to be celebrated. Bit by bit, breath by breath. Focus on resilience knowing that presence and persistence will out do pressure and perfection every time. Your ability to do things often over your ability to do thing perfectly is your superpower to progress. Sometimes perfection paralyses us and keeps us from doing anything at all. Good enough is just that, it’s good enough!
Allow understanding and unwavering compassion for yourself as you set your 2026 intentions. There is a lot going on our planet, and you are simply doing your best. Take it day by day, step by step and go far, not fast.
-With love and gratitude, wishing you all the best things in 2026 ✨
Lauren
If you are looking for support to kick off 2026 with self-connection and self-care, say hello! I love teaching people to connect with themselves and their inner guidance through meditation and mindful movement.