I am reminded of what my mother in-law Jeanne used to say regularly while sharing Reiki together “To you I give, from you I receive, together we share, by this we live”. A good reminder of what this time of year is all about.
Christmas day is reported to be the happiest time of year for the majority of people in the western world and yet the lead into it can be incredibly stressful for so many as they dash around gathering gifts, shopping for food and spending more time out and about socially, never mind the increased work load to get a few days off. We spend a huge amount of time thinking about others, about what to buy - planning meals, cleaning up our homes and adorning them with sparkly, glittery decorations. Hardly daring to stop to take a breath or start to enjoy some of the Christmas cheer.
The shops are full of tempting gifts - beautifully arranged with eye catching displays - the pressure is on to buy the perfect gift, to be so original, sparkly or ‘just what I’ve always wanted’ - words trilled out once received. I wonder what message we are sending out to others as we too trawl the streets looking for the perfect gift?
When you glance up and across at others doing the same thing- what do you see? what do you notice, how much love, happiness and good cheer do you experience? When people talk about their day all too often it’s held with a good deal of stress, and the dread of having to go out one more time to get the gift that got forgotten. Discontent, financial drain, is this what it is about? Is this what it has become? Have we gone so far off track and forgotten what it is really about?
Love, joy and happiness written on cards talking about celebrating and bringing good cheer - but at what cost to ourselves, each other and to the earth herself? I wonder how are you feeling right now? What is your relationship with yourself at this time of year? How do you take care of yourself?
There are many simple ways that we can start to catch our breath, such as taking hot baths, going for a walk in a park, or even just having a cup of tea, and these measures may go some way to restore balance; but how about taking just 5 minutes to stop and breath! Sounds simple, and yet can we? When I do give myself a chance to meditate and connect to any mindfulness exercise, the peace I feel can be second to none. How about just stopping right here, right now as you read this, if you have got this far we are probably on the same page anyway, so go on stop.
Here's what you need to do: Just close your eyes and take a nice deep breath in, and then sigh it out, do this three times; focus on the inside of you, notice what happens to the body. Then if you can stay with your breath, say to yourself there is nothing to do, nowhere to go, this is all that matters. Every time your mind wanders you can just gently bring it back to the breath......
Taking care of yourself has become a secondary need; maybe it is time to restore the balance for yourself or others that you care about. To take a break from the fast pace of Christmas rush and instead find some peace. From mindlessness to mindfulness. Imagine sitting or laying for an hour on a couch, in a quiet peaceful room nestled on the tops of the cliffs at Whitesands, where I practice.
Take yourself miles away from the shimmering and sparkles of Christmas fairs, and take stock, rest and breath in the stillness as the loving touch of Reiki can work its mysterious charm; let it take away some of the hustle and bustle of your daily life. To leave with batteries recharged and energised to feel more centred.
If you are someone who has experienced Reiki before you will know how true this is, and if not, then why not? Maybe it is time to experience the loving touch of Reiki and allow it to work its magic on you.
I wish you the very best of seasonal cheer and happiness that permeates from the inside out, and time to enjoy being you giving from your heart, with the sparkles of love and one very big happy smile.
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