The following is an excerpt from the "A Year of Guided Meditations" on-line course. If you would like to enroll in the course, click here.

The profoundly positive principles presented here give you ways of becoming your highest self. They are spoken in the "I AM" tense with the understanding that as you repeat it or internally absorb it along with the spoken word, you are coming that much closer to actualizing the idea within you, in the present tense, at this moment. By speaking as if you are already embodying the principle, you are not waiting for it to manifest at a future time and it can truly manifest within you - in the Now.

If you contemplate one meditation a week, you will benefit by that principle actually becoming an inherent part of who you are. As you focus on one affirmation at a time, you will energize that principle within you. At times during the week you can extend the affirmation's benefit by internally repeating a short, simple affirmation or mantra related to the one you are focusing on. This will help you to internalize the affirmation and make it more real for you personally.

I let go of the old and open myself to the new

Often, we tend to cling to old patterns and habits that may be holding us back. It is these attachments that can keep us from living fully. In this centering affirmation, we allow ourselves to open up to the many blessings that exist within the vast sea of infinite possibilities surrounding us. When so-called negative experiences present themselves, we frequently tighten up and form an armor of resistance around us, thereby closing ourselves off from the magic inherent in the unknown. By always being open to new possibilities, we allow the Universe to harness all its forces to help us in the best ways possible. This affirmation is a wonderful way to begin our year of weekly wisdom meditations.

I sit quietly and center myself, breathing deeply and fully. I feel myself firmly connected to the earth as I let the spirit flow through me. I let go of busyness and of anything that may be overwhelming me. I open myself to the new, to new possibilities, to a new day, and to the fresh new cells being constantly created in my body with every breath I take. I feel the refreshing inspiration of new opportunities coming my way. I welcome this new and wonderful time in my life and see it filled with goodness, creativity and peace. I let go of the old and allow the new to come gently into my life.