Here we are at the start of the holiday season! I want to invite you to pause and go inside for a moment to contemplate the coming season. How will you set the tone and intentions for your holiday this year? How can you bring meaning and healing into this season? What comes up when you let yourself consider your relationship to the holidays? For me the holidays bring a mix of excitement, reverence, anxiety and a deep desire to keep the time sacred.

Aligning with the rhythm of the earth during this season can bring balance and connection. On a recent mountain walk, I felt a strong pull from the land towards winter - an invitation to settle in, get cozy, and become quiet. The entire forest beckoned me to sit down. While I wanted to do what the trees asked, stopping seemed impossible. I was “busy” - I had just rushed from school drop off to walking dogs, was taking a crisis call from a client before heading into a full day of sessions. The pull was strong, and I gave in to the earth’s request and sat down.

As I sat with a beautiful tree, I heard her ask me to go deep into her roots, my roots and sink into the earth. A beautiful guiding force grounded me as I tried to steady in the earth and my core. I surrendered to this call to stop doing, thinking, working and just became quiet for a while. It was powerful medicine that I’m putting into practice at the start of this holiday season and in my daily practice.

Perhaps this poem by Wendell Barry says it best:

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake

rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethought

of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting with their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

How can we bring this peace of wild things into the holiday season?

Some things I’ve tried: doing and buying less, traveling out of the country, skipping the holidays, finding a few sacred aspects to focus on, held silent retreat, made beautiful snowflakes for decoration, cooked traditional family recipes, and gotten outside into the mountains. I’m still sorting it out for myself and my family year by year. Would love to know how you are working with balance this season.

Our joy and meaning as humans comes from connection - to nature, to ourselves, to the divine, to each other. When we take a step away from the endless doing, buying, striving and get quiet, we can access our inner power and resources. From this resourced place, we can meet the world and each other. We can easily access and share compassion and love. From this place, our holidays have the potential to become meaningful, beautiful and healing.

I’d like to encourage each of you to take a moment (or day, or weekend) to connect on the inside and set your intentions for the holidays.

Here are some questions to get you started:

Who do you want to be, and how do you want to show up, if you are with family this year?
What holiday rituals are meaningful and which are hollow?
What self care rituals do you need to put in place to help you remain kind and loving?
What internal boundaries and external boundaries do you need in place?
What do you need to say no to and yes to?
What activities will bring you joy? Who do you want to see this season?
How do you wish to feel as you move through the season?
How will you remain grounded?

VIDEO MEDITATION & MANTRA:

In an effort to stay centered through the holidays, I’d like to share a grounding meditation video and mantra with you. (Click on the link below to open the video.) If possible do this while sitting comfortably on the earth by a supporting tree (but ok just to imagine you are sitting on the earth too). It only takes a few moments daily.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17ufZIefVAXgKdykMkBKnjElIFCE0K9LM/view?usp=sharing

Come close to the breath and settle into the flow of the breath.

As you move inside with each breath, allow yourself to be drawn close to the earth to the fertile ground and to be supported by earth.

Sense that you have roots at the base of your spine just like a tree does and allow those roots to grow deep into the earth’s core.

Allow your roots to wrap around the strength and support of the earth - perhaps anchoring them to a rock.

Now, breath from the core of the earth into your core through your roots. Stay here and establish a strong connection.

Invite the grounded support of the earth to travel wherever it needs in your body, mind, emotions.

When you feel complete, thank the earth, unwrap your roots and come back into your body bringing the connection with you into your everyday life.

And a simple mantra:

Breathing in, I am grounded and connected
Breathing out, I let go of stress, unnecessary doing and any blocks to being present

I am profoundly grateful for you and all the work you are doing to heal yourself and this earth. I wish you all a beautiful, joy filled, renewing holiday season connected to the love and power of the earth and power of love!

With deep gratitude for you,

Catherine

Pausing, Connecting, Setting Meaningful Intentions