Give Me a Word
By Joanne Cahill
The simple act of hanging a new calendar or turning the page in a new journal - rituals that come at this time - are expressions of faith. Faith in the new day. Faith in the new year. Faith in experiences to come that will stretch us in ways unimaginable. Faith in life itself.
I love this quote from Rainer Maria Rilke. It speaks of welcome, openness, hope, and optimism for all that will unfold for us in the months ahead. These annual rituals, so simple yet profound, mark a new year of stepping into the unknown.
January is the longest month if, like me, you are not a big football fan following the intrigue of playoffs and anticipating a Super Bowl.
Also, I am not one for resolutions. They seem so all-or-nothing and are simply too big for me. I prefer my resolve in small, daily, manageable bites.
Not a resolution but a simple word that will illuminate the way is what I seek. A word or phrase that will shed light on the whole tapestry of my life. That’s what I need.
For several years now I have embraced an ancient practice given to us from the early desert monastics, known as Ammas and Abbas, who lived in Egypt, Syria and Palestine in the 2nd to 4th centuries. The practice is commonly known as “Give Me A Word”. In this desert tradition, seekers would ask the Ammas and Abbas for a word. The word offered was one that would bring new awareness as the seeker journeyed with his/her word in the year ahead. The seeker would ponder the word daily, plumbing its depths. The word would be a “threshold place” - a doorway to new insights, new practices, new ways of noticing and of being in the world.
I invite you into this practice. Go ahead. Ask for a word. As you move through the next few days, surrender into a place of deep trust and receptivity and notice what emerges. Keep in mind that we do not force the word or think our way into the word. Rather, we allow it to emerge. If you find yourself reaching for the right word that will keep you on your diet, make you go to the gym everyday, or give up chocolate…well, you’re on the wrong track!
Words that come may evoke deep resonance or deep resistance. Be open to both. Get out of your head and pay attention to what is resonating within the heart, to synchronicities you experience, to images that emerge. Don’t force the word; let the word choose you!
Allow your word to be an epiphany for you. Allow it to shine forth like the star of the Magi, leading you to places of new revelations. Its meaning may not make immediate sense to you but trust that, over time, it will. Stay close to your word in the coming months, trust it much as the Magi trusted and followed their star, be curious about where it will lead.
The word that has emerged for me this year is Faithfulness. Already, I see it as an invitation to authenticity - to remain faithful to who I truly am. I also see it calling me to clarify what daily practices I need to sustain and nourish my true self and to remain faithful to them. My word also brings up a longing for my country to rediscover a faithfulness to its better self - a centeredness that can move us forward.
How about you? What word is emerging for you? What new thresholds is it inviting you to cross? Write to me; I’d love to hear.
Blessings on the journey of a new year with your word!
~ Joanne
Send us your word for 2026. We’ll gather the words and create a special TriYoga of Central Pennsylvania Word Mandala. Email your word to info@pennsylvaniayoga.com.
Joanne has practiced yoga for more than 25 years and is a member of the TYCP community. Certified as a Basics teacher, she taught for 5 years before COVID changed much about our world. She describes herself as a seeker and embraces the wisdom of TriYoga as well as the Monastic and Celtic spiritual traditions. Joanne is mother to Cathy, Tom, and Robyn and grandmother to Michael, Daisy, Alex, Sam, and Abby. Retired from Penn State, she makes her home in State College.
She recently started writing a blog on Substack entitled Blessings on the Journey. You can find her writings here.