Into the Stillness
November brings a shortening of daylight, a carpet of crisp leaves and bare tree limbs in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s a time for many to begin to turn inward as we move towards the Winter Solstice. Yet, at the same time society is amping up the volume in November and December to get shopping, spending, consuming, mixing and mingling. It’s all a bit counterintuitive.
I adore many holiday traditions. Making gingerbread houses with my family, soft twinkle lights, the Christmas tree, holiday carols and gatherings with people near and dear to me. Over the last several years, it’s less about the gift giving and parties and more about the meaning behind what I choose to participate in, and what I choose to let go of.
Everything we choose to engage in will carry an energetic vibration. As a sensitive person, I am being more intentional in what I will and will not partake in. Not every party invite needs to be a yes. If sending out cards has never been your thing than just stop, trust me most people will not notice. Perhaps this is the year you shorten your gift giving list. Set a clear boundary and say not this year. It does not need to be a permanent change, but instead honor where you are this year. Every day, week and year is energetically different. The more we go inward and listen to what our heart and body are showing and saying to us, the easier it is to know what feels aligned.
This year we will have a quiet Thanksgiving with a close friend. I cancelled my large family holiday gathering as we are in the midst of a large move and I know the stress level will be too much. There will be no cards, and there will be more gift cards this year than gifts. There will be a tree, soft lights and candles and there will be some festivities I will participate in, as these at the moment all feel right in my body and heart. I booked a short flight back to New England in December so I can hug my sons, brother and niece because of all the things that I hold near and dear it is them. This is 2025 and 2026 may look entirely different…honor where you are at.
So, as we begin to enter the energy of late fall where can you relax the pressure and expectations you set upon yourself? What small changes can you incorporate that will keep your energy from being depleted? Where can you set boundaries, where can you say no, not this year? Permission granted to do things differently. Not everyone may agree with you, not everyone will be happy if you choose not to make the family stuffing recipe, but maybe you can pass a torch to another family member? It’s not easy to change things up, especially around the holidays but it’s also not ok to burnout, push yourself too much, or to do things because they are expected of you. When we honor the holiday season in a way that resonates deeply, we will feel more peace, more balance and more harmony. Your body and heart will thank you.