The winter season should be one of reflecting on our lives and remembering what makes us happy, healthy and peaceful. The holidays are often spoken of as a time of giving however, giving should not be something done only in the holiday spirit. Everything we are fortunate to have is a blessing and sharing those gifts with others is the way we give thanks for the miracle of this life we are living. The more we give away, the more we encourage the flow to bring things back to us. You never lose anything. This is the wonder of life.
Reflecting on the wonder of life should be a regular practice especially during the holiday season yet, more often than not, the holidays can stir up quite a lot of issues that lie just below the surface. When we combine this with a general sense of unease that seems to pervade the world at the moment, it breeds difficulty and uncertainty into our daily life. The result is a generous helping of stress and worry which we often don’t have an answer for. There is a tendency to simply try and hold on tight, hoping to make it through unscathed.
Fortunately, just as it feels as if things are unraveling, there is also seems to be something quite amazing taking place in the world. Many people are starting to sense a shift in consciousness as a transformational change begins to take place. No longer are the old patterns working for us and many people are starting to look for answers deeper within themselves. The distractions of the media would have us believe that things are at the brink of collapse, but if you take a moment to center yourself, you quickly realize collapse is relative. Talk a walk in nature and you can observe the life force energy flowing along. The sun rises, the rains fall, the wind blows and the snow accumulates. The hardships we face teach us valuable lessons. They temper our being and prepare us for change.
Embracing change can be a real challenge. Our ability to do it depends a lot on where we live and the holistic practices we engage in. Bringing ourselves into alignment is a long process, but it is one we cannot neglect.
The process has a number of steps:
1. Nourish the Body. We need to learn to breathe effectively to bring in more oxygen and energy. We also must engage in movement practices in order to circulate the energy through the muscles and joints. In addition we should be clearing out the toxins and poisons from our diet.
2. Calm the Mind. We need to bring clarity of thought to our thinking process so that we are able to react and adapt to the challenges we face. A drastic reduction in the distracting noise from the television should be a priority.
3. Open the Heart. We need to begin to use the heart as an organ of perception. By getting in touch with our feelings and the energy fields that surround all living beings, we can start to project a more loving and caring energy out into the world.
4. Honor the Soul. We need to take the journey inwards and confront the dark parts of ourselves and shine a pure light of truth onto them. Only then will we be able to release that which no longer serves us.
5. Embrace the Spirit. We need to embrace the spiritual part of us that is connected to the whole spirit of existence. By engaging in ceremony to honor the sun, moon, wind, trees, animals and elements we can more fully remember our place in the universe.
It would serve all of us this holiday season to try to be a little more forgiving and humble in our thoughts and actions. We always have a choice as to how we react in any given situation. We have all felt the energy change when an angry person walks into a room. Everyone gets a little on edge. Remember…this dynamic works both ways. If we can find a calm center within ourselves, then we give others a reference point to find calmness within their own selves. Let the holiday season be about cultivating peace and harmony in the world. Finding faults in others or laying blame for things elsewhere simply creates friction and unease.
When you drop a pebble into a pool of water the ripples spread out. You determine the ripples you send out to the people around you. Let your pebble be positive and loving. We are only going to find the way forward by turning inwards and getting our own self in order.
Please share any comments you may have.
I wish you much happiness, joy and peace this season.
