The chaos of the holidays in the northern hemisphere comes during a time of year when our natural world is primed for rest. The trees lose their leaves and slow their growth. Animals hibernate. People require more sleep during winter, but our holiday hustle often prevents us from ceding to the quiet that our bodies crave.
We run around shopping for gifts, preparing food, traveling, or readying our homes for guests. Fighting against our body’s natural inclination towards stillness can leave us feeling dysregulated and stressed.
So, if anxiety and overwhelm are tugging at your heartstrings, I invite you to give yourself this small gift: a loving-kindness meditation and mantra.
Ready?
PAUSE whatever else you’re doing right now. Place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly. Take 3 deep breaths, fill up your lungs, and notice how your hands rise and fall with the movement.
Now, say the following to yourself aloud:
The universe is generous and I am deserving of good and beautiful things. May I be happy may I be well may I be peaceful and at ease. May I give compassion to myself and others, because I am love & I am loved. I am enough full & whole exactly as I am in this moment. I am free to make choices without fear of judgment. And should I forget may I always remember that I am a miracle breathed into being by a kind universe that gives me endless second chances to be the best version of myself.
. . .
I hope that the truth of these words echos in your spirit as you navigate through this season. I’ll be back in the new year with some reflections and updates. In the meantime, take care of yourself and thank you for reading!