Holidays got you stressed? How about a reframe? Holidays ~ a time to de-stress
Earlier this month I was in Manhattan for a healing training. Prior to going I was scared, overwhelmed and questioning how could I possibly navigate my way around the city, much less survive. Something that helped me reframe was when my friend who lives there said, “You know you can always ask someone; New Yorkers are really nice people.” Until she brought this up, I hadn’t realized I was in the headspace of having to do it on my own, having to do it perfectly and in separation from the many good people of NY.
What happened the first morning? I was commuting from Brooklyn to Manhattan and I missed my ferry, then almost missed the next ferry and barely arrived to class on time. But what I chose to notice from that: I made it and felt really alive. My trip was exhilarating. I came to see how often we want to bypass the human experience of newness, how we then stop seeing the magic in our experiences. My kids were the ones who brought the magic back to the holidays for me – their wonder and excitement of something different and special. But still, after several years, I started feeling tired about the holidays.
This week I stumbled on this instagram post by thewomanwhomarriedabear who said:“FERTILE DARKNESS::In the hubbub of the ‘holiday season’ there are ancient practices to nourish our minds, bodies & spirits” and it reminded me that instead of going into the story of “it’s such a bummer it gets dark so early” or “it’s so cold,” I could explore newness. A return of the cold so I can get cozy or go to bed earlier or make a cup of cocoa to warm up or create a new ritual. I remember a teacher saying that rather than rally against the weather for it being a rainy day, you could just accept – it’s a rainy day, no need to spend the energy getting angry just because it’s raining.
My intention this time of year is not to embrace the drama of stress for this time of year, but to actively look for the magic in this season. I hope you, too, find new ways or remember ways to make this time of year restorative for yourself.
Since it’s the time for travel and staying in, if you’d like to experience a remote healing, take 20% off remote sessions from now until New Years, use code cozy when scheduling. Here’s to embracing the dark.