Why gearing up for the holidays can seem so hard...
For eons, this time of year — the season moving toward the winter Solstice — was a slowing-down time.
The harvest was in.
Days were short.
Longer evening had more space for family, for quiet and sleep.
And all sorts of pleasures, too, I’ll bet.
So what happened?
If December’s packed calendar is tough for you, it may be that our bodies and consumer culture have evolved at different rates.
Did you know that the shift to more is relatively recent?
Before the Victorian era, the holidays meant a day off and a nice meal, if you were lucky.
But with a more commercial society came this idealized vision of the perfect family Christmas.
Presents sprawled beneath the tree, the house bedecked with evergreen boughs, candles aglow, lavish food and drink.
Yet, what our nature calls for is rest and going inward.
It’s why the holiday push seems so crazy.
Now we’re busier than ever.
Presents and Prosecco and parties.
No matter what your religion, December’s over-the-top focus on gift-giving brings with it a huge level of stress for many women.
We may be breaking a glass ceiling on every other level,
but we’re usually still the ones to make all the festivities happen.
IT’S STILL WOMEN’S JOB TO MAKE IT FUN AND BEAUTIFUL FOR EVERYONE ELSE.
But, what does fun and beauty mean for you, really?
How can you gift yourself with what you most need and want during this precious holy time,
built for contemplation by the cycles of the seasons?
HERE ARE A FEW PRESENTS TO GIVE YOURSELF…
Surprise yourself with 5 minutes of sitting quietly every day.
Schedule a bundled-up solo walk- maybe even on ground instead of asphalt.
Light candles and just breath, feeling your shoulders drop with each outbreath.
Listen to my 10-minute breath meditation.
Then there’s just looking into your loved ones’ eyes for a minute…
Move slowly — if at all — for half an hour, maybe even with a lover.
Chances are that what you need right now is less doing and more being.
I bet you’ll find real pleasure in listening to your body’s whispers.
Joy to your world…
The harvest was in.
Days were short.
Longer evening had more space for family, for quiet and sleep.
And all sorts of pleasures, too, I’ll bet.
So what happened?
If December’s packed calendar is tough for you, it may be that our bodies and consumer culture have evolved at different rates.
Did you know that the shift to more is relatively recent?
Before the Victorian era, the holidays meant a day off and a nice meal, if you were lucky.
But with a more commercial society came this idealized vision of the perfect family Christmas.
Presents sprawled beneath the tree, the house bedecked with evergreen boughs, candles aglow, lavish food and drink.
Yet, what our nature calls for is rest and going inward.
It’s why the holiday push seems so crazy.
Now we’re busier than ever.
Presents and Prosecco and parties.
No matter what your religion, December’s over-the-top focus on gift-giving brings with it a huge level of stress for many women.
We may be breaking a glass ceiling on every other level,
but we’re usually still the ones to make all the festivities happen.
IT’S STILL WOMEN’S JOB TO MAKE IT FUN AND BEAUTIFUL FOR EVERYONE ELSE.
But, what does fun and beauty mean for you, really?
How can you gift yourself with what you most need and want during this precious holy time,
built for contemplation by the cycles of the seasons?
HERE ARE A FEW PRESENTS TO GIVE YOURSELF…
Surprise yourself with 5 minutes of sitting quietly every day.
Schedule a bundled-up solo walk- maybe even on ground instead of asphalt.
Light candles and just breath, feeling your shoulders drop with each outbreath.
Listen to my 10-minute breath meditation.
Then there’s just looking into your loved ones’ eyes for a minute…
Move slowly — if at all — for half an hour, maybe even with a lover.
Chances are that what you need right now is less doing and more being.
I bet you’ll find real pleasure in listening to your body’s whispers.
Joy to your world…