The holidays are among us again and while I am in the tropics during Thanksgiving this year, it doesn’t take away from the fact that I still feel responsibilities to family and friends drawing near. I even had a dream last night that I was desperately trying to find the time and the money to get back to Maryland and give all of my loved ones gifts of their liking. The pressures of the holidays can leave us feeling exhausted, guilty, resentful, and the like. The old tapes of, “I don’t have enough,” and, “I don’t measure up,” start re-playing in our heads. When that happens I come back to a check list that I have compiled over the years that I have used to walk through these holiday seasons with love in my heart. I am inspired to pass on some rituals I use to transform holiday anxiety into holiday empowerment. Feel free to add some more in the comments below. Happy Holidays 🙂 In lieu of the Holiday Spirit I have included some of my personal special holiday moments from last year.
- Transforming Food Habits: Ok, ok, I know that the holidays are a good excuse to throw the diet out of the window for a couple of days and have all of the holiday pie with excess whipped cream and piles of gravy on your turkey. That is fine, BUT I realized that when I paid attention to what I ate at family gatherings, and altered it even just a little bit, I felt so much more capable of social interaction AND my body + mind felt more stable = less stress. Over the years I have started having even more fun with this concept. I have probed the internet and recipes books for Healthy Holiday Recipes. You can follow my Pinterest Board to see some of my favorites. Your friends and family will thank you for bringing that delicious Gluten Free Double Chocolate Zucchini Brownie dish (You don’t have to tell them it’s healthy, it can be our little secret!).
Sometimes me think, ‘What is friend?’
And then me say…
‘Friend is someone to share the last cookie with.’ Cookie-Monster - Transforming Money Relationships: A lot of us have pretty tragic relationships with money. It’s that 5 letter word that can bring someone to the most extreme of emotions in less that a second. Why do we let money rule our emotions like this? I believe it has been passed down through generations. It is ancestral baggage that you, yes YOU, can be rid of. I once had someone describe money as energy. That clicked with me. They went on to describe how there was infinite energy in the Universe, and all we need do is call it to us. I said, “Tell me more…,” and they responded with, “Find gratitude for what you have.” My mind was blown. If you can align your vibrations with gratitude for what you have, you can start to break the old chords of negative money karma beginning today. A lot of what is holding us back from receiving abundance is our feelings of LACK. The vibration of lack or not having enough sends out the message to give us back just that. If we can start becoming aware of the things that WE DO HAVE in our life and feel genuine appreciation for them then we start the flow of, “Manifesting abundance.” Try it now by making a list of some things you are grateful for in your life today and WHY you are grateful for them. Pause after each one and feel genuine gratitude and happiness in your heart. Take a few deep breaths in that gratitude and then move on to the next. I practice that simple exercise daily and I have experienced freedom from the worn out negative attitudes surrounding money. Remember, “Like attracts like.”
Peace begins with a smile.
~ Mother Theresa - Transforming Negative Self-Talk Patterns: I have also found that the way our thoughts rule our mind can have a profound effect on our vibrational pull. If we are constantly saying to self, “I don’t have enough,” “I am not worthy,” “Look at what they have, that is not fair,” “I WANT ____”(and you get my drift?) then we will call that same vibration to us. Saying, “I WANT,” keeps you in a state of wanting. Saying to yourself, “I AM _____,” puts you in a state of just that. Some key Affirmations that I have used to break negative thought/vibrational patterns are
~I AM ABUNDANCE~
~I AM WORTHY~
~I AM ENOUGH~
Try using these daily when you have a few minutes, I suggest doing it in the beginning of your day but anytime will work. To get started find a comfortable seat and close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and visualize white light energy drawing out through your heart center. Feel your whole body smile and roll your eyes up to point between the eye brows with your eye lids gently closed. Slowly begin to speak the affirmation of choice either out loud or silent while continue to cultivate positive energy through out. Repeat each affirmation 20 times or more. When you are done, try thanking your body, mind, and spirit for allowing you this precious time to nourish and sustain your oh so very important Self Care.
— Mary Anne Radmacher
4. Transforming Body Habits: This hearkens back to the #1 as they have a lot of interplay. Be sure to drink enough water to help your body recover from all of the holiday fun whether you are drinking holiday mixers or not. Staying hydrated will help your immune system, digestion, and mind stay strong throughout the season! It is good to drink hot water with lemon or lime in the mornings and at night to help digest food (An Ayurvedic Remedy! You can even put a tablespoon of raw honey in for a treat). Get some exercise. I tend to like to hit the gym or a yoga class the day before as it helps with my mood and aids me in making the healthiest choices for me. Exercise raises serotonin levels and if you are an emotional eater this helps immensely!
— Mary Anne Radmacher
5. Transforming Guilt: YOU ARE PERFECT JUST THE WAY YOU ARE! This is the most important transformational holiday technique of them all. FORGIVENESS AND COMPASSION! Ok, so you had every intention of doing techniques 1-4 and when the time came you fell flat on your face. It’s OK! When we practice consistent self forgiveness and self compassion we will always find our way. Feel empowered by your so called mistakes, achievements, and the like, for they are all a part of what brought you to this moment. Be grateful that you are who you are for there will never be another quite like you. You are especially important and an ultimate expression of LOVE. And remember, you can chose, in this moment to embrace everything and everyone in your life (Including yourself) for being exactly the way they are meant to be in this moment! Enjoy yourself, enjoy each other, and have a very Happy Holiday!
Alana Victoria Roach
E-RYT, Reiki, Retreat Leader & Wellness Support
Alana’s love for yoga came from firsthand experience with just how powerful the practice is. “In 2009, Yoga found me. Inside the studio, she experienced a deep sense of belonging, but the most profound part was what happened after. “I felt as though I was at true peace. I finally knew what the word meant. Until that moment, I had just understood it cerebrally. There is something profound to be said about Peace dropping into the heart.”
Alana, I love this post! Especially the part about transforming guilt. We need to honor ourselves always, but especially this time of year. Another tip for this that I like is when you start thinking negatively about yourself (no matter the reason), ask yourself – is this is the way you would treat or talk to a dear friend, a loved one, a beautiful child, or even a loved pet. Probably not – so why treat ourselves that way? You can then even think of that specific being that you hold dear. The thought pattern can change from shame to love immediately 🙂
Yes! I love that one! Thank you, Adele.