A Gentle Way to Ground Your Body Before the New Year

The space between the holidays and the New Year holds a unique kind of energy — softer, slower, and sometimes a little tender. The pressure to “start fresh,” set goals, and reinvent yourself can feel heavy, especially if your body is still catching up from the full swirl of the season.

Instead of rushing ahead, this can be a beautiful moment to slow down, come back into your body, and honor everything this year held.

Here are a few simple practices to help you settle, soften, and transition mindfully.

1. A 60-Second Somatic Check-In

Before the year ends, give yourself a moment to simply be with your body.

Place a hand on your heart or your belly.
Take a slow breath out.
And ask:

What sensations do I feel right now?
Where is there softness?
Where is there tension asking for attention?

No fixing. No changing. Just noticing.

2. A Gentle Release Ritual (MFR-Inspired)

Your fascia holds so much of your lived experience — stress, joy, overwhelm, excitement, all of it. A small daily reset can help your system unwind after a busy month.

Choose one area and melt into an MFR ball or soft pressure for 2–3 minutes:

• Upper back

• Pecs

• Glutes

• Hip flexors

Let the tissue soften under steady pressure.
Let your breath get long.

Feel yourself arrive.

3. A Slow Walk to Come Back Into Your Body

Before the year ends, step outside and take a walk with no destination — simply to reconnect.

Feel your feet meet the ground.
Roll your shoulders back.
Look at the sky, the trees, the horizon.

Even five minutes is enough to shift your state.

4. Reflection Questions for the End of the Year

These are the questions I ask my closest friends and family on their birthdays — and they’re beautiful to use at the close of a year, too.

Take a moment, breathe, and ask yourself:

✨ What am I proud of this year?
✨ What’s something I learned?
✨ What surprised me about myself?
✨ What am I ready to gently let go of?
✨ What am I looking forward to in the next year?

Write your answers, speak them aloud, or sit with them quietly.
Your body often knows the truth before your mind does.

5. A Soft Invitation Into the New Year

You don’t need to have everything figured out before January arrives.
You don’t need a perfect plan or a list of resolutions.

If all you carry into the New Year is:

• one grounding breath,

• one moment of presence,

• or one tiny step toward caring for your body…

That is more than enough.

And if your body needs support in this transition, I'd love to hold space for you. You can book a session or learn more about my work here

Wishing you a grounded, nourishing close to the year — and a soft, gentle beginning to the next.