How to Not Get Rigid In January

Why resolutions don't work and how intention, mindset, curiosity and collaboration wins every time

A huge thanks to everyone who is a paid Subscriber to The Broad Place Letters! I get an email notifying me every single time someone upgrades to paid, and it makes my heart tingle for the support of writing and sharing. Lots more exclusive content to come for you darlings this year as I wrap my head around Substack as a newsletter platform too!

Oh how I adore this time of the year! Today is a long awaited day as it’s my first day back after three weeks off. I honestly was itching to come back to writing and teaching and collaborating, and could have actually started earlier, but wanted to see how far I could pull back on the arrow, stretch myself into relaxed oblivion and see where that might take me. My intentions are clear, my north star for the year is present (my theme of Freedom), and today the string felt so perfectly tight, the arrow so well aimed as I bounced down to the tea hut with a huge cup of tea, Princess our little senior rescue by my side (now snoring) and such a lightness and pulse of aliveness set my mood.

I don’t like New Years Resolutions. They’re an invitation for our ego’s to cause chaos, and are very rarely adhered to. Rather, I like setting themes, intentions and gaining a little momentum into what a year could be. Without putting the blinkers on to all that Life and The Universe can and likely will bring. Flexibility, curiosity and self kindness is what is needed, not rigid resolutions. Commitments work, such a meditating daily, but also flexibility and curiosity brings about a much better practice than rigidity.

Yesterday night over dinner, and this morning as the sun rose over coffee on our little deck, my husband Arran and I sat together and really refined our map of the year ahead. What we hope it brings with us experience, education and creativity wise - is huge. I really believe we are in constant collaboration with Existence/The Universe; our every breath, every moment, is about staying open, aware and in our heart to see if what our mind created is what the Universe has in store for us on our cosmic map. It’s a whole process of refining our compass to see if we are on course, and can read the signs and then elegantly course correcting and adjusting when we discover we were perhaps not.

Mid 2025 will mark the 12th year of The Broad Place, and we are soon relaunching our entire website and online teaching platform. This has been no small feat and takes a mini army of creatives, coders, developers and myself. We did this because we wanted the education and experiences that we offer to be even clearer and more accessible. The teaching platform specifically is going to be epic, whereby all the resources and education and recordings will be available in one spot with better cohesion and aesthetics, but also it will have a community element for every course where you can comment and engage as much as your heart desires! You’ll receive an email from me soon with instructions on how to carry over your username and password and access all that you have already enrolled in, and a couple of bonuses from us too. Will this be a 100% smooth and seamless transition? I’m definitely going with No, as it never, ever is. But we are patient and kind, and excited for you to be a part of the new Broad Place platform and will help you every step of the way.

Also I am up-levelling my education and skills (hehe, yes, again) with a 12 month training held across 6x intensive residential pockets in Europe. This is a training I have wanted to do for years now, and in early December I just decided to take the leap and commit. Doing a training on the opposite side of the world is no easy feat, BUT it also means I can do a lot of teaching, facilitating and mentoring in Europe. So that’s a massive win.

To date I have written and published 4 books, and edited and published 1 more for my friend Mutribo, and have had two books in the works that haven’t been picked up as yet; such is the life of a writer. At first I was disappointed that they weren’t gaining traction (the Mothers Mind Cleanse, and a special Zen stories for kids book) but these things seem only to happen when the Universe is ready for them (no matter how much you may love them yourself). So in exciting news, I have a brand new book in the works, and this new one will be an extra special one as I believe it’s going to help many, many women through challenging transitions. Stay tuned for more details to come!

After our April 2nd-8th Japan Immersion (which is now fully booked - but Oct is likely to happen; if you’re keen to apply please email info@thebroadplace.com.au to fill out some questions), I will be heading to London to teach a few weeks, and then will be back and forth April until July from around Italy and London (with a potential Italian Residential Immersion/Retreat on the cards!). I will also be back in England and Italy in September, and December, so I can connect with our students more frequently in person which means the world to me. Some of our students have been reaching out with requests for in person Mentoring, and Half Day and Full Day One on One Workshops/Trainings with me in London and Milan and Florence, and some in Paris also, as well as when they can attend Integrated Meditation Courses and undertake various Leadership Trainings. Also I have a few windows for Private Retreats, where I can curate, facilitate and teach a group of friends or family residentially over 2-5 days. I have most of the dates sorted at the moment, so if any of this this sounds like it’s of interest to you and you would like to work together, please email me jacqui@thebroadplace.com.au and we can start a conversation about it. Also if you would like me to teach in your space or on your Retreat that you are hosting, let’s chat, I love doing this so much, collaboration is my jam.

And, if you scroll further down you will be able to see the Calendar for The Broad Place for the next six months also at the bottom with all the education and experiences you can join us on.

THEMES

I’m also going to set some themes for the next six months that we can all work to with these Letters. I want this to be fun and playful, not dense and intense. For each Theme I will set some Journal Prompts, include Reading Recommendations, some Podcasts to listen to, the odd Spotify Playlist, include some Guided Meditations and Exercises and Tools specifically around each theme.

So let’s start with our first for January - with the theme of Clarity. I chose Clarity for January as aren’t we all thirsting for clarity with intensity? The desire to get clear on who we are, what our true potential is, how we can live a life in full flow, and live from our hearts seems at its most potent in January doesn’t it?

JOURNAL PROMPTS

• Who would I be, if I dropped all my ideas about what I am not? How would I show up in the world?

• If I was absolutely guaranteed success in one thing in my life, like a Willy Wonka style ticket - what would I set out to do?

• When do I feel my Essence and feel most myself with a sense of presence and ease? In what places? With what people, or when by myself?

• Am I ensuring I make enough space in my life to experience my Essence?

• What is one thing I know I could pause doing that would improve my quality of life? How long would I need to pause it to feel the effects? What is stopping me from experimenting with this?

• What is one thing I could do that would improve my life? How long would I need to introduce this to feel the effects? What is stopping me from experimenting with this?

LISTEN

I love listening to Binaural Beats to help my brain smooth out and focus more (bonus points on this if you’re neurodivergent like myself). Binaural beats are a fascinating psychoacoustic phenomenon in which the brain creates the perception of a “third tone” from two separate frequencies. Although many people report experiencing relaxation, better focus, or support during meditation, scientific findings remain mixed. Still, binaural beats are generally safe to experiment with as part of a broader toolkit for relaxation, mindfulness, or cognitive support—provided you keep expectations grounded in the current state of research. Personally, I love it for when I am feeling fritzy, need to focus but don’t want dead silence, and especially in airports, boarding planes and on planes. FOR A GREAT PLAYLIST LISTEN HERE.

CALENDAR FOR 2025!

JANUARY

- 2025 Global Online Masterclass - join me for an intensive Masterclass to frame up your year ahead with greater clarity, creativity and consciousness - enrol HERE. This Masterclass is also gifted to all our Portal Members, so sign up for a year of goodness and receive this free, or if you’re already a member and missed the email - hit us up at info@thebroadplace.com.au and we’ll get you sorted!

- We have a series of Free Introductory Calls regarding our February-April Meditation Teacher Training - read more here

- I start this Tuesday with my weekly in person Meditation and Philosophy Classes at HAUM Byron Bay - book in here

- We have next week a three session Integrated Meditation Course Globally taught Online Wed 15th, Thurs 16th and Fri 17th - read more and join me here.

- 2025 Mentoring Intakes ; we are currently in talks with people wishing to expand their learning and align to their higher selves and heart through self leadership or attune their leadership - please email jacqui@thebroadplace.com.au to chat to me more about these 3, 16 and 12 month packages.

FEBRUARY

- I am hosting our NY Masterclass in person at HAUM and you can join me in Byron Bay on Feb 1st here! It’s going to be awesome.

- I will continue my weekly in person Meditation and Philosophy Classes at HAUM Byron Bay - book in here

- Stay tuned as we are going to do an amazing 21 Day Challenge called Med and Shred, with two live group online calls, lots of journal prompts, and a sequence of meditations from me, and yoga classes by Tahl from HAUM to get you mentally and physically strong and flexible!

- Our only Australia Retreat planned this year will be at the Atlantic Hotel with limited spaces remaining Feb 6th to Feb 9th - Creativity as Meditation, this is going to be a big and juicy immersion with a lot of learning and fun! Read more here.

- Our Global Certified Meditation Teacher Training begins in February and goes for 8 big weeks, read more and enrol here.

- If you’re a Portal Member, we will have our gorgeous Monthly Live Call, stay tuned for dates and sign ups.

MARCH

- I will continue my weekly in person Meditation and Philosophy Classes at HAUM Byron Bay - book in here

- If you’re a Portal Member, we will have our gorgeous Monthly Live Call, stay tuned for dates and sign ups.

- Meditation Teacher Training continues

APRIL

- 2nd - 9th is our Japan Retreat - currently booked out

- 10th - 20th April I will be in London for Integrated Meditation, Talks and Events and Private Teachings and Mentoring

- End of April we welcome our new teachers into the world with the MTT graduation

- If you’re a Portal Member, we will have our gorgeous Monthly Live Call, stay tuned for dates and sign ups.

MAY AND JUNE

- 13th - 17th May and the 24th May - 23rd June, I will be between Italy and London for Integrated Meditation, Talks and Events and Private Teachings and Mentoring

- There will also be a Global Online Course in Integrated Meditation dates TBC

- If you’re a Portal Member, we will have our gorgeous Monthly Live Call, stay tuned for dates and sign ups.

Sending you much love, and may this year be yours for grace, freedom and expansion,

Jac x