Feel.

And join me in "paradigm-shifting" what the holidays are all about.

I'd add a fifth one: FEEL.

When everyone around you is going down, head first, into the vortex of holiday frenzy, stay above the fray and call on all your senses to FEEL.

Stop and Feel.

Feel the wind, the sun, the heat, the cold, your kids' hugs, and your partner's hug, the hot water from a shower on your skin, followed by cold, the soft blanket. Hear the birdsong, the swooshing of geese wings as they migrate overhead, the wind rustling the bare tree branches, the leaves falling, water running, the dry leaves crunching underfoot. Smell the food you're cooking, the deliciousness of sautéing veggies, of browning meat, smell the softness of an essential oil scent, the fullness of dirt and mud and dry leaves, and rain. Smell the scent of pine trees and pine cones, of pumpkins and mums. See the sunrise and sunset, and all the colors in the sky in between, appreciate your kids' smiles, appreciate your own beautiful smile in the mirror each morning. See the vibrant colors in the foods you prepare each day. And then "see them with your taste buds". Taste the deliciousness of what you prepare each day, revel in it. Relish it. Slow down, sit down and truly TASTE. And notice what comes up as you're tasting.

Feelings. Emotions. Thoughts.

And just BE.

It’s been a busy couple weeks. And I don’t want the rest of the next two months to interfere with my being, my becoming. In this time of paradigm shifting, lets add one more to the pot: lets paradigm shift what the holidays are all about.

What would this look like?

1. Instead of the black Friday and cyber Monday materialist frenzy, maybe we keep the wallet closed and tucked away and sneak in some much needed hurkle durkle time

   1. Circadian-friendly corollary - sneak in some much needed infrared morning light. Rise in time to catch the sunrise! How’s that for a paradigm shift!? If you’re a veteran ‘sunriser’, keep going! You know how good this is! If you’re new to this, mark this holiday season as your time to begin this amazing habit that will rock you to the core, in a phenomenal way. Keep ‘sunrising’ from here on out and you’re in for some amazing healing and shifting and blooming where you’re planted. For more info on why our Light Diet is so, so important for health, you can check out some of my previous posts here and here and here. You can also take a look at my FREE mini-course “Get Your Light Right ~ 30-Day Challenge”.

      
      

2. Instead of perpetual, vicious-circle, round-the-clock fretting over the (insert holiday) meal, the main course and all the fixings, maybe we pick a main meat course and one side and enjoy the process and the company. Less time in the kitchen, more time in the living room, feet up and enjoying a hot mug of something delicious (preferably NOT spiked)

   1. Circadian-friendly corollary - find a local turkey or ham, and local squashes and cold hardy greens to cook and grace your table? Ditch the booze and the junk food and the way-past-your-bedtime junk light (i.e. scrolling for material sales, doom scrolling to feed the F.E.A.R (False Evidence Appearing Real)-fueled dopamine resistance loop, watching junk programing, etc.). Embrace the warmth of the kitchen while the oven works it’s magic, while sipping some amazing home-made spiced (not spiked) chai tea that is loved and structured, and therefore will love you back (this amazing recipe was shared by Dr. Catherine Clinton, on one of her earlier fall newsletters):

   
   

   Spiced Chai Tea

   With the colder weather I've been enjoying a warm cup of spiced chai tea between travels. You can use black or green tea but I usually use rooibos tea for a decaffeinated version.

   I take 4 cups water8 cardamom pods4 whole cloves1 teaspoon black peppercorns4 whole star anise pods½ teaspoon ground ginger3 cinnamon sticks¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

   Boil 4 cups of water and add spices to steep for 5-15 minutes depending on how spicy you like it. I add honey and coconut milk to taste, you can add any sweetener and milk you prefer.

   Remember Gerald Pollack found that traditional herbs increased the EZ structured water content and I think we'd find the same thing in this chai tea.

   Enjoy this warming, structured water

   
   

3. Instead of sequestering yourself and your loved one(s) for the rest of the long weekend to partake in watching sporting event marathons, or movie marathons, or binging on re-watches and so forth, maybe plan a walk around the neighborhood every day, a longer hike in a local park, an even longer outing to the nearby state forest, a bonfire, an evening (or 10) curled up on the couch with a good book.

   1. Circadian-friendly corollary - move your time for watching a good movie up to the middle of the afternoon, while the sun’s still out. Then turn down lights and turn off screens as the sun sets. Grab that aforementioned book and blanket and snag a spot on the couch. Then, after awhile, as you feel your eyelids getting heavy, go to bed. Simple. Powerful. Embrace the healing power of darkness.

      
      

4. Replace the gift of stuff with the gift of time spent and outings and adventures. Outings and adventures need not be complicated and expensive. Aim for simple and cheap, even better: FREE! Hikes, walks, sunset bonfires, playing board games, cooking together, simply being.

   
   

5. Replace the habit of junk food, booze and sweets with the habit of less food, whole food, local food, water and herbal teas. This paradigm shift is a good one for meeting and befriending your local farmer and meat producer, your local market owner, your less-crowded fridge! And your less gassy/bloated belly.

   
   

Of course a big part of what makes this time of year so brutal for so many has nothing to do with stuff and food, and everything to do with people - difficult, frustrating, sick, not-here-anymore people (think recent deaths, first Christmas without "her”, first Thanksgiving without “him”, etc.). This is a topic for another time. But I’d like to leave you with the following: perhaps by paradigm-shifting the low hanging fruit of stuff and food and expectations around stuff and food, we can free up some much needed emotional real estate to truly “deal with” the feelings and emotions around, and very real physical responses to, the people in our lives. Perhaps, by budgeting more time to simply BE, we can find ourselves less frantic and more in the moment. More able to Breathe, Observe, Smile, Notice and truly FEEL.

So, here’s to slowing down, and blooming where you’re planted!

How do you embrace opportunities to just BE? Please share in the comments!

Amanda