The Great Release: Release to be Ready for New Beginnings in 2026

Now is the time! Here are my practical and easy ways to discover what you are ready to let go of and how to do it! Get ready for 2026!

The Great Release

We have a unique opportunity right now to shift out of ruts, ruminations, and patterns that may once have been helpful, but now feel like a heavy weight. This is a powerful moment to let them go — to make space for the new year and the next cycle that is beginning to take shape.

I’ll share a few simple, accessible ways to support this process. Before we get there, though, it helps to understand why this moment in time is especially supportive for release — and why doing this work now can feel more natural and easier than it might in the months ahead.

We are in the heart of winter. The days are shorter, the nights longer, and for many of us in northern climates, the landscape is quieted by snow. Nature has slowed almost completely. Growth has paused. Energy has turned inward.

This deep stillness invites reflection. Winter is not a time of pushing forward — it is a time of conserving energy, integrating what has been lived, and resting before the next cycle begins. When we align with this rhythm, letting go becomes less about effort and more about listening.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the process of release is closely tied to the Metal element, and to the lungs and large intestine — systems responsible for breath, boundaries, and elimination.

Even as the seasons turn, these organs continue to teach us how to let go — of grief, of what is no longer essential, of what the body and spirit are ready to clear. When these systems are supported and balanced, we can grieve, exhale, forgive, and move forward with clarity. When they are burdened, we tend to hold on to: emotions, possessions, responsibilities, or old versions of ourselves.

This kind of release can be tender. It asks us to be honest about what feels heavy and what has quietly completed its work in our lives. The good news is that the body already knows how to do this — sometimes it just needs a little support.

Before we get into the simple at-home ways to support balance and release, let’s take a moment to understand the deeper energetic picture because this is pretty fascinating.

Below is a graphic that illustrates what the numerology energetics of the years are. Our current cycle started in 2017. Look at what 2025 is, it’s calculated simply like this:

2 + 0 + 2 + 5 = 9

So, 2025 is a Universal 9 Year; the final number in the numerological cycle. The year of conclusion of integration, release, forgiveness and transformation. So, let's go! Do not bring into this new cycle, old cycle’s junk!

Of course, making an acupuncture appointment with me or your practitioner, will help with this somatic release and support your resilience. And there are things you can do at home. Use these quieter weeks to go through the journal prompts and do these rituals and get ready for new beginnings in 2026.

Journal prompts:

What am I holding onto that no longer serves my growth?

What lessons am I taking with me from this nine-year journey? Since 2017 so much has happened that we are grateful for! List them out.

What am I willing to lovingly release as I step into a new beginning? List out what pops into your mind when you think about ‘clearing and releasing’.

That’s it. Focus on these 3 prompts. In the new year, we will start to take a look at what we want to see! For now, let’s only focus on gratitude for this cycle of life and lovingly, yet firmly, release the old stuff.

Acupressure points to help the body to release old patterns, grief and energy. Gently tap for 1-2 minutes or until you notice a deep relaxed inhale. As you tap, say the corresponding affirmation.

Liver 3 “Great Surging”

Affirmation

“I allow energy and emotion to move freely through me.
I release frustration, anger, and resistance with every breath.
My path flows open, clear, alive and unblocked.”

Lung 1 “Central Treasury”

Affirmation

“I breathe in clarity and exhale what no longer serves me.

With every breath, I soften, forgive, and let go.

My heart and lungs open to receive new life and light.”