The Year of the Snake: Clearing Out, Letting Go & Making Space for What’s Meant for You
There comes a time when you just know.
Maybe you don’t have the words for it yet, but you feel it—something doesn’t fit anymore. A version of yourself, a relationship, a plan you once clung to so tightly. What once felt safe now feels heavy, constricting, old.
And yet, letting go? That’s the hard part.
Because even when we know something has run its course, we hold on. Out of habit. Out of fear. Out of the quiet hope that maybe—just maybe—it could still be what it once was.
But here’s the truth: you can’t move forward while gripping the past.
2025 is the Year of the Snake, and in Chinese astrology, the snake is a symbol of transformation, wisdom, and release. If a snake doesn’t shed its skin, it doesn’t just stay the same—it dies. The old layer, once protective, becomes suffocating.
And honestly? The same is true for us.
If we don’t let go of the versions of ourselves that no longer serve us, we get stuck—trapped in old stories, past relationships, and outdated dreams. The things that once kept us safe become the things that hold us back.
Maybe this is your year to shed.
Maybe it’s time to release the relationship that no longer meets you where you are.
Maybe it’s time to let go of the self-doubt that’s kept you small.
Maybe it’s time to stop waiting for closure from someone who will never give it to you—and give it to yourself instead.
Because the longer you hold on, the harder it is to breathe.
Ayurveda & the Art of Shedding
Ayurveda teaches that everything we experience—our thoughts, relationships, habits, and emotions—either nourishes or burdens us. And when we hold onto things that no longer serve us, it creates ama, the undigested waste that lingers in the body and mind, leaving us feeling sluggish, unclear, and disconnected.
Just like we need to digest food, we need to digest our experiences—processing, releasing, and clearing out what no longer belongs.
Vata’s Clutter: The Overthinker
If you’re Vata-dominant, you tend to hold onto worries, uncertainty, and overanalysis. Your mind spins with “what-ifs” and “should-haves,” keeping you trapped in a loop of overthinking instead of releasing.
How to clear it:
Ground yourself with routine—consistent sleep, meals, and movement help Vata settle.
Sip warm ginger tea to anchor your energy.
Journaling or talking things out can help process emotions rather than letting them build up.
Pitta’s Clutter: The Overcontroller
Pitta holds onto perfectionism, expectations, and frustration when things don’t go as planned. Letting go feels like giving up control, and that’s uncomfortable.
How to clear it:
Cool the intensity—spend time in nature, practice slow, mindful movement.
Avoid overconsumption of information (endless scrolling, doomscrolling, analyzing everything).
Let go of the need to “understand” everything before moving on. Some things are meant to be felt, not solved.
Kapha’s Clutter: The Over-attached
Kapha’s strength is loyalty, but it also makes it hard to let go—of relationships, routines, and past versions of themselves. The familiar feels safe, even when it’s weighing them down.
How to clear it:
Move your body—stagnation in life often mirrors stagnation in movement. Even a simple daily walk shifts energy.
Do something new—shake up routines, break out of autopilot.
Declutter emotionally by setting boundaries—not everything deserves space in your life.
Letting Go of the Habits That Keep You Stuck
Sometimes, what holds us back isn’t one big thing—it’s the small, daily habits that keep us stuck in the same cycle.
Maybe it’s:
Waking up and immediately scrolling through your phone, filling your mind with noise before you’ve even taken a breath.
Saying “yes” when your whole body is screaming “no.”
Holding onto people who only reach out when they need something.
Playing small because it’s easier than stepping into the unknown.
These things might feel harmless—but over time, they add up. They keep us circling the same mountain, wondering why we aren’t moving forward.
So here’s a shift: Instead of asking, "What do I need to add to my life?" ask, "What do I need to subtract?"
What happens when you stop filling every silence, over-explaining yourself, saying yes out of guilt, overthinking the past?
What happens when you clear space for something new?
A Ritual for Shedding & Letting Go
If you feel like you're carrying something that no longer serves you, here’s how to honor the release:
Breathe it out. Try Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) to clear mental and emotional stagnation. Inhale the new, exhale the old.
Write a release letter. To the person you need closure from. To the version of yourself you’re outgrowing. To the "what-ifs" you’ve been replaying in your mind. Say what you need to say, then burn it, rip it up, bury it. Let it go.
Wash it away. Take a long shower or bath. As the water flows, imagine it carrying away everything you’re ready to release.
Move forward. Take a walk. Stretch. Dance. Do something physical to mirror your internal shift.
Set an intention. Speak it out loud. Write it down. Say: I am releasing what no longer serves me. I am stepping into what is meant for me.
Making Space for What’s Meant for You
If a snake doesn’t shed its skin, it dies.
And while we won’t physically die from holding onto things that no longer serve us, we suffocate in other ways. We stay in relationships that drain us. We keep repeating patterns that leave us exhausted. We tell ourselves we’re stuck when really—we’re just scared to let go.
So here’s your challenge:
Let go of one thing that isn’t serving you. A habit, a thought pattern, a relationship.
Make space for what’s next.
Trust that what is meant for you will not pass you by.
Because when you finally shed what no longer fits—you make room for everything that’s meant to find you.