Temporarily Closed

 

“Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection”
Winston Churchill  

 

This is my favorite month – it’s my birthday and the holiday season. It’s also the time I give myself to take a break, stop traveling, and allow myself to go deep inside of myself to reflect. In the Pagan tradition the winter season was the time to stop, take the wheels off the wagons, and decorate them signifying that the harvest was done and it was time to rest (this is where we get our Christmas wreath idea from). Winter is the time where the days are shorter and darkness dominates, and our bodies seem to crave rest. But what do many of us do at this time of year? We get stressed by saying “yes” to parties we don’t really want to attend, place pressure on ourselves to spend money getting that perfect gift, and basically place our needs last on our “to-do “list. 

 

It’s taken me quite a few years of practice to put myself first in this busy holiday time, and to carve out space to just “be” and not “do.” As Cheryl Richardson says,“If you want to live an authentic and meaningful life, you need to master the art of disappointing others…” That might sound a bit harsh, but to really trust what is right for you is the first step in being truly authentic to yourself. So even though it is challenging, there are some holiday parties I will say “no” to, people who want to visit that I need to turn down, and other obligations that I will remove myself from so that I can be quiet. There will, of course, be some things I will say “yes” to – but the “practice” is first checking in with my heart to see what feels fun and easy and a big yes! Otherwise, as my friend Alan Cohen says: “It’s either a hell yes or a hell no!”

So in this holiday season I wish you all the peace, joy, quiet, stillness, fun, laughter, and connections that you desire. I will be back in January with my 2019 calendar and a list of my upcoming women’s retreats!