Two lists to change your life.

Each month the staff at International Orange [I.O.]—a studio and spa where I teach yoga—gathers to grow our community.

Last week Amy, the lovely co-founder of I.O., led our group with a sweet meditation and journaling exercise focused on transitioning from winter to spring. I enjoyed the practice so much that I’ve since shared a variation on the meditation with several of my yoga students.

To start, begin in a seated meditation.

Sit comfortably and begin to deepen the breath. Use the breath as a means to explore your current state—how you feel physically, mentally, emotionally. Your seated meditation can last for any duration of time, perhaps 10-20 minutes.

At the end of your meditation…

…take a sheet of paper and fold it in half. One side of the paper is winter, the other spring (but you can title these sides whatever you’d like). On the winter side, start to make a list of what is no longer serving you—what you want to let go of or make peace with. On the spring side, make a list of everything that you want to cultivate in this new season of growth and possibility, whatever you would like to invite into your life.

When you’re done making with your lists…

…tear the sheet of paper in half. Set the spring half to the side—you’re going to keep this and place it somewhere you’ll see it often (your desk, a wish/dream board, anywhere). You can add to this list as time goes on. Take the winter sheet and—are you ready for this?—tear it up. That’s right, tear it up in as many little pieces as you’d like. Let it out—engage in the cathartic release of physically removing these things from your life—and let it go.

Take your spring list and…

…again sit in meditation, this time envisioning yourself as being, having or doing the items on this list.

Notice how this feels.

And know that everything you could ever want or need you already have inside of yourself, om mani padme hum.

You just have to let it be.

Lindsay Jean Thomson breathes, loves and lives in beautiful San Francisco. She teaches yogasana around town and keeps a blog, shanti love yoga. Stop on by!