Wellness Wednesday: Our 2022 Goals
By Rebekah Elkerton
As we embark on a new cycle with a new calendar year, we, at Matriarch Movement, are looking ahead with self-love, a collective and personal commitment to growth, and excitement about where the year may lead us. We’re seizing the energy of the new year and leaning into habits, old and new, that welcome good things into our lives. We recognize that through individual healing we can become better people in our personal relationships and more invested community members.
Our team includes four Indigenous women, each of us on our own unique path yet coming together to hold space for Indigenous people to reclaim and thrive. We’re energized by creating change in our communities and recognize that can only be achieved when we practice and demonstrate the wellness that we advocate for.
We hope that by sharing our goals publicly we will not only inspire others to reflect on their own intentions in the coming year but we will also be more accountable to ourselves and the greater community to actively change our lives for the better.
Holliston
“This year I will be prioritizing my relationship with myself and what brings me joy: as someone who finds happiness and fulfillment in offering whatever I can, whenever I can, to support those around me, I find that I often forget to share that same love, attention, and unconditional investment with myself.
In 2021 I said good-bye to a friendship I was deeply invested in, and following that loss I struggled to refind my balance. Through the love and support of kin, I have been reminded of my brilliance and want to spend 2022 more actively and intentionally investing in and prioritizing myself to create dedicated time for things that bring me joy and happiness, and to continue to create space for my personal growth and healing.”
Letting go of people and practices that we once held in importance is hard for all of us. In the past 2 years, the entire world has undergone lessons in letting go of an old way of life. Refinding ourselves and the things that bring us joy is something that we’re collectively facing. Joy is integral to building a meaningful life and surprisingly so many of us aren’t actively doing the things that bring us regular happiness. In the past on the blog we’ve talked about the healing nature of joy and laughter, and we recognize that these things are essential for personal and collective healing. There is no better feeling than when we return to our best selves and we love this goal for 2022.
Denita
“My goal is to get back into mental health through running and meditation. I notice my goals are easily met when I'm in alignment . When I wake up I meditate and have no phone activity whatsoever. I write down what needs to be done for the day, go for a run and boost my dopamine levels for an overall energized day, then I go to work. I notice I get a lot done by doing these rituals.”
We know thet physical and mental health are connected. Denita's goal to return to a previous routine that once served her wholistic health is an important reminder that we don’t have to start from scratch when we're setting goals. The self-awareness of knowing what works is a powerful tool for improving our lives. In a world that moves so quickly, we can get caught up in trendy new workouts and the latest health practices. Denita has laid out a routine that she knows works for her, including practices she knows are manageable and rewarding. Finding activities that support wholistic alignment is a great way to nourish the self on multiple levels for greater all-around health
Shayla
“My wellness goal is to be mindful of my own capacity and to be willing to say “no” more often if something is not in alignment with my mind + body + spirit.”
When we talk about goals, there tends to be an emphasis on using positive language and committing to saying “Yes,” to new experiences. The self-reflective power of saying “no,” honours our own limits whether physical, spiritual, mental, etc. We’re moving away from ideas that support unhealthy narratives about productivity that cause us to spread ourselves thin trying to achieve an unachievable and unhealthy lifestyle in which we give more than we’re able. Rest is integral to wellbeing,and alignment is the ultimate health goal.
Saying “no” is an act of reclamation. When we place boundaries on where we chose to place our energies and vocalize our limits we can reclaim voice, body, and spirit.
Rebekah
This year I will to live more truthfully and honour the voice within. I intend to unlearn habits that have grown out of response to expectations placed on me by outside forces and seek to understand myself better. I pray for a year of self-discovery and self-love so that I can show up better in my relationships.
Since quitting my day job in early 2021, I've been actively seeking deeper self-knowing so that I may shed the practices I do on autopilot that aren't in alignment with my growth. I have been consistently reflecting on the authenticity of my choices as being my own or a direct response to the expectations I feel society has placed on me. This year I aim to act accordingly and move through life with healed self-love and intention.
It's been said that 75% of life is just showing up and I want to show up better than ever before.
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Looking ahead with excitement, we as a team commit to new habits and rituals of self-care that keep us healthy, so that we may honour ourselves in the ways our ancestors fought and prayed for. We know that when we heal ourselves we can heal our families and communities. Each of us are leaning into the practices that energize us and honour our wellbeing. In 2022, we aim to shine and instill light into the world around us. We hope you’ll join us in creating positive change this year and doing our best to support one another.
