December Contraction: Allowing the Darkness In & Protecting Your Energy Body

Here we are, last month of a decade, plus the darkest time of the year, 

I find myself in a huge contraction right now, which is totally normal and predictable for me at this time of year. Anyone else super reluctant to hit the shops? Overwhelmed by the crowds? Does the idea of going to Costco send you on the verge of a panic attack?

 Maybe you have been doing all this work, self-care, yoga, breathing, eating healthy, making an effort and commitment to yourself every day and find you don't notice huge changes, until..... Bam holiday season! Here it is folks, a sign you are making spiritual progress! Maybe not the way you thought but here it is, easy to see, Can't tolerate things you used to be able to tolerate.

if you are reading this message then I know you are doing some inner work, and let me tell you, the more inner work you do, the more sensitive you become. When I say sensitive I mean that you have shed some of those layers of protection, opened yourself up, rewired your nervous system, which is great! But with that comes the lessons of which you must learn to manage this new and ever-growing sensitivity. Treat it like a baby. When newborn babies come into this world they are so sensitive! Brand new, no layers of protection, the lights are too bright, the noises are too loud, and the energy of too many people wanting to hold & touch the baby is super overwhelming, painful to their nervous system. That's why they are most comfortable in the aura of their mothers. The mother's aura is a protective shield of energy for the infant, and we all know the other reasons infants are comfortable on their mother's chest.

So If you've been working on yourself, connecting with your intuition, developed a ritual for yourself, & making a conscious effort to pay attention to your energy the more you will notice the sensitivities. Super exciting to be aware & acknowledge this if you are new to conscious energetics, but not so fun if you are in an environment that continually bombards your newly sensitive system.

Crowded malls, long lists of gifts to buy for people you hardly see, expectations piled on expectations, sometimes it feels like too much. Over the years I have found ways to deal with my ever-increasing sensitivity, so here are a few suggestions if you find yourself in a similar place.

• Shop early, really early. Ideally, you are pretty much finished before December starts. If you haven't done any shopping yet, get to it now! The crowds and traffic really to get worse each day leading up. 

• Can you shop less? Are there people that it just doesn't make sense to be buying for? Hint: If you have no idea what to get them, it usually means you aren't that close and maybe it's not necessary? You'd be surprised how many people are open to the idea of not giving gifts, or changing it up by drawing names in a large group instead of buying for each person individually. Maybe you can agree on a theme, or rules for the group that make it fun. Gifts Cards only, date night, a spa day, etc are all ideas. It can be super stressful when you feel pressure to buy for lots of people, even with all the changes I've made over the years I still aways break the bank. Which bugs the heck out of me, is that what Christmas is about? Putting families into debt to carry on a capitalistic tradition? Seriously if I had my way I would be drinking hot cacao, buying some books and gifting only that just like the Danish. 

• When it comes to gift-giving for children, try creative & practical! If mountains of toys on boxing day give you the twitches, this is a great way to redirect.. don't worry I'm sure they will get plenty of toys from other family members. This year we are re-doing their bedrooms, it's very needed, so their gifts are new bed frames, night lights, sheet set, & freshly painted rooms. "Family" gifts are great too, especially if you have a large family like me, it saves the bank, encourages sharing, and less fighting over things. Some ideas are movie box sets, art supplies, games, puzzles, craft sets.  One of my favorite traditions is gifting a book each day dec 12-dec 24th. The kids take turns opening one book each day. 

• Online shopping is great, for those of us who are sensitive to the energy of crowds, long lines, and traffic jams. Keep in mind it's nice to support small local business if possible, most businesses will ship to you, or offer a quick pick up option and it totally makes a better gift IMO.

• Go to bed early, & start an immune-boosting regime. If we do happen to be too busy when our bodies are screaming to slow down, we will be forced to bed with illness. For many years I was sick over the holidays, which is no fun at all, and even worse is sick kids! So, assist their immune systems too! My favorites are elderberry syrup, oregano essential oil, hearty soups, smudging, astragalus tea, lemon/ginger tea, epsom salt baths, infrared sauna and of course keeping up with the cold showers. 
  

• Evaluating what you can let go of.  Is there dinner or a party that you can miss? You don't have to go to everything! Are there relationships that you have fallen away from that you can let go of at this time of year? There used to be several different gatherings for different groups of friends/peers/co-workers and as I moved along on this spiritual journey I noticed that I had hardly anything in common with most of those people anymore. Not to mention we had zero communication throughout the year. It wasn't that I didn't care about them, it had more to do with me understanding that how I spend my time, and who I surround myself with is vital to my health, energetic & mental! So make a list of your holiday get-togethers & activities, and scratch a few off for this year. Don't worry yourself about next year, just do it for this year.

• Carve out some alone time, to be with yourself and contemplate this past year, this past decade..( I've included a Journaling DOC with some questions you can reflect on). This is the time to go within, cozy up by the fire (or heat vent lol). Read an inspiring book, journal, write, paint, anything creative and personal to you. Tap into your essence, what is your soul longing for? What are the messages/downloads that are trying to come through to you? Sit & be quiet and give yourself the space needed to receive, and when you do receive, welcome it with gratitude, and thank yourself for taking the time.

• If you don't already have some simple, yet meaningful holiday traditions or rituals you can share with your family, then start now. With kids, some activities we enjoy is a kindness advent calendar, where there is a kind gesture they can participate in each day, our favorite is when we take a bunch of candy canes to the grocery store parking lot and leave one on all the car doors. Acknowledging winter solstice with stories, a fire, and/or candlelit room to welcome the return of the sun. Creating a winter bucklist, list or discussion about your favorite memories from 2019, worst memories that you can laugh at now, and 10 things you are grateful for.

I hope some of these suggestions were of value to you, I'd also like to pass on this complimentary yoga class. In this 68 Minute class, I guide you through the Kriya to Throw Off Stress, & the Meditation to Release Fear of the Future.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Access Here

If you have any comments or concerns, meaningful traditions you do, or tips on how you have learned how to manage your energy during this busy season, hit reply! I would love to hear from you!

Blessings,

Elisa