Honoring our inner lake- building spiritual capacity in the new year
As we navigate the new year, spaces for rest and community have never been more important
Ever since I was a little kid, I have loved making New Year’s resolutions. Throughout my childhood, we didn’t have many rituals to mark the passage of the year. As a Hindu family in the South, we celebrated the obligatory holidays - Christmas and Diwali, marked with perfunctory celebration and gifts. It didn’t fulfill what I was longing for, even at a young age. I craved an intentional slowing down to commemorate the past and bring intention to the coming days. New Year’s eventually became that ritual for me.
Each January, I try to carve out time to reflect on the past year, reminding myself of both the moments of beauty and the moments of pain or hardship. I’m always surprised by how much happens in a year - within the daily ebb and flow of life, our days are punctuated with remarkable experiences that shape us. I’m often amazed at how much life we live in a year - it both feels so short and so long when we are in the midst of our daily living. It’s only when I slow down to remember, often relying on my calendar to jog my memory, that I recount the trips taken, the friends visited, the family celebrations, the emotionally taxing clinical shifts, the toddler milestones, and the meltdowns. I’m always left feeling a cornucopia of joy, sorrow, grief, and love - yet, it feels beautiful to spend time sifting through the experiences that make life feel so full.
I then transition to looking at the year ahead- reflecting on the intentions or goals I hope to bring. A usually hopeful practice - it’s become harder and harder each year as I wonder how to be present and hopeful in a world navigating so much suffering. This year was no exception. As hard as 2025 was, the start of 2026 has already brought its own influx of sorrow and hardship.
This year, as I sat to reflect on what I hope to bring in the year ahead, I struggled to put my intentions down on paper. I wrestled with a sense of hopelessness and despair; it felt trivial to decide to run more or eat healthier in the face of ICE terrorizing communities, the genocide in Gaza, or new conflicts emerging around the world. Yet, I know that honoring and building capacity, creating space for rest, joy, and community, is necessary to keep showing up, to keep fighting back, and to keep being present in a system designed for profit.
In The Way Out Is In, a podcast by the Plum Village Buddhist monastery, Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu shares a beautiful parable that highlights the importance of honoring and growing our capacity. A student of the Buddha is speaking with a mentee about how the goal of our daily meditation (or stillness) practice is to grow our capacity and our equanimity, our sense of balance in the world. He compares it to pouring a cup of salt into a glass of water. There is too much salt, and the water is too salty to drink. But if we pour the cup of salt into a lake, it would have no impact. The lake does not become salty. He shares, “Our practice is to keep expanding ourselves to become that immense lake that it doesn’t become salty.”
As I reflect on this new year, I am keeping this striving for balance at the heart of my goals. I am prioritizing the ways I can grow my own capacity, through rest, through art, through community- so I can hold the “salt” of this world and the stories of others with balance and care. And I am seeking places and people where I can be held, too- where I know the stories I share and the burdens I carry can be shared. For some of us, this can be a creative practice - expressing ourselves through our hands or a paintbrush. For others, this can be gathering with close friends who can hold and make space for our sorrows and joys. For myself, I am committing to practice in a sangha- Buddhist spiritual community - to grow my capacity. No matter what this looks like, committing to daily practices of rest and connection can enable us grow our capacity to bear witness and advocate for justice.
As 2026 continues to unfold, creating space for rest and community will continue to be essential for our well-being. How are you planning to honor your capacity this year? What practices help you “grow your inner lake”? We’d love to hear from you.
With gratitude,
Anu & Laura
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Registration is open for our Spring 2026 Artist’s Way Cohort!
The Artist’s Way for Healthcare Workers is a 12-week journey to restore your creative spirit in the company of others who get it. Whether you’re a healthcare worker or mental health professional at the edge of burnout, a new graduate looking for community, or simply someone longing to feel more you again—this is for you. Inspired by Julia Cameron’s book the Artist’s Way, this creative journey is a chance to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and build community with other healthcare workers who understand your experience.
Throughout the journey, you’ll also receive:
A weekly Artist’s Way email digest: thoughtfully summarized reflections tailored for healthcare professionals.
Group chat support with a larger circle of healthcare workers and mental health professionals walking the same path—share insights, celebrate wins, and know you’re not alone.
Four live continuing education webinars exploring the intersection of creativity, moral distress, and healing—for those who want both personal and professional growth (Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #18000, for 4 Contact Hours)
An invitation to our in-person “Celebrating Creativity in Healthcare” event in Los Angeles in June 2026, including a special “Artist’s Way” pinning ceremony to mark your transformation.
Interested in reconnecting with your creative self? Click the link below to learn more!