December Weeks 3 & 4 ~ Thoughts & Questions to Ponder

And Embracing the Art of Rest, Reflection & Joy

Earlier this month I shared some thoughts and questions with you, as an invitation to slow down and just BE. Especially in the midst of the chaos that December typically devolves into. You can go here and here to recap. The hope is to inspire you with actionable ways to slow down this month. Not rev up with everyone else. Slow Down. And BECOME. Even though I’m late with these prompts (hey! I was heeding my own advice and slowed down… to the point of not sitting at this computer for 2 whole days. It was sublime), these prompts still apply! Perhaps even more so, if you’re in need of serious recovery post-holiday debauchery. Grab your 24oz mason jar full of clean, filtered water with a little salt in it, put your feet up and take a few moments of quietude to ponder the following:

15. Rest as Resistance: Rest isn’t lazy - it’s revolutionary! Schedule a “No plans” day for pure restoration. If you’re up to it, share your restful moment with us in the comments. What was it like?

16. Body Clock Nutrition: Align meals with daylight hours for optimal energy and digestion. Breakfast fuels; lunch restores and dinner supports rest. What’s your favorite daytime meal?

17. Cold Exposure Reset: Cold exposure invigorates your body and supports mitochondrial health. Try 30 seconds of cold water at the end of your shower today! No can do? Then head on out for a walk in the cold, and keep that jacket unzipped and your neck exposed so you can begin to activate your BAT (brown adipose tissue) for increased metabolic efficiency.

18. Sunset Signal: Sunset rituals signal your body to relax. Take 3 deep breaths and reflect as the day ends. What are you thankful for today?

19. Quantum Connection Walks: Take a grounding walk and reflect on what you’re grateful for with every step. What was your grounded gratitude moment today? Share in comments below!

20. Intention Setting Ceremony: Set your energy for the week ahead with a candle-lit intention ritual. Reflect and write down one action to align with your goals. What’s your one-word intention?

21. Savor the Slow: Holiday Hustle, anyone!? Pause and savor a slow moment. Light a candle, sip tea, or watch the snow fall. My slow moment was generated for me when my oven died. All the meal plans and baking I had scheduled in preparation for Christmas went down the proverbial drain. I was “forced” to recalculate, and in doing so I smiled and sat down. Instant pot soups and previously frozen sourdough bread and sandwich makings worked like a charm. And thus a new, slower, simpler tradition was born. How did you savor the slow this week?

Thanks for reading Bloom Where You're Planted ! This post is public so feel free to share it.

22. Joy Jar Practice (my favorite): Calling all dopamine junkies! Capture joy daily by writing one meaningful moment on a slip of paper. Watch your joy jar fill and feel your feel-good dopamine levels rise. What was your joyful moment?

23. Holiday Energy Reset: Protect your energy by saying “no” to what drains and “yes” to what fills you up. How will you protect your energy? What is one thing you’re letting go of this week?

24. Intentional Gifting: Choose gifts of meaning - handmade treasures, experiences, or time together. What’s your favorite gift?

25. Quantum Harmony: Embrace harmony over hustle. Simplify your day by focusing on what brings peace. How are you creating balance? My go-to every day is a walk outside during UVA rise. The amazing, restorative, effects of UVA light are so powerful and instantaneous! I crave my walks. UVA is the signal that tells our brains to make thyroid hormone, dopamine, melanin, serotonin, adrenaline, histamine, and more. UVA is the key that opens up my own personal apothecary! Try it! You’ll like it! UVA rise is that time in the morning when the sun reaches 10 degrees above the horizon. Head on out for a walk around 1 hour and 15 minutes after sunrise. You will not regret it.

26. Reflect and Recharge: Pause and honor the year you’ve just lived. What moments made your heart full? What lessons helped you grow? Spend 10 minutes reflecting on one thing you’re proud of from this past year. What’s one lesson or joy you’re carrying into the new year?

27. Align with Light: The days are finally getting longer! Nature is your guide for renewal. Use the morning light as a daily reminder of growth and new beginnings. Commit to catching the morning light to set your energy for the day. If you’d like an even more serious challenge, join @horaioswellness and @simplify_md us over on Instagram and share your photo of every sunrise for one whole year (365 days!). We started on the winter solstice. But you can join in the fun whenever!. Know you’re not alone. Far from it.

28. Gentle Movement Reset: Start the new year with gentle, intention movement. Align with your body’s rhythms to energize your cells and prepare for growth. It can be as simple as incorporating 15 minutes of light stretching or yoga, or even better, some rhythmic movement training, to flow into 2025. My go-to practice to reset my energy is rhythmic movement training (RMT). What’s yours?

29. Dark to Light Reflection: From darkness comes clarity. Spend time in darkness this evening, to reflect on the past year and visualize your intentions for 2025. Light a candle and jot down your intentions in a journal.

30. Intentional Energy Clearing: Clear space - physically and energetically - for new opportunities. Whether it’s decluttering your home or practicing grounding, clearing prepares you to welcome fresh energy. Spend 15 minutes clearing clutter or grounding outdoors. Share one way you’re clearing space for the new! What’s one thing you’re letting go of to make space for 2025?

31. Set your Intentions: Step into 2025 aligned with your highest energy. Let’s embrace paradigm-shifting in 2025: first shift = Set your intentions not as resolutions but as daily frequencies to embody. BECOME your intentions! Write them down. Speak them out loud. What’s one word guiding your energy into the new year?

And in closing, as we begin a new year, a new quarter in this century, Lets CELEBRATE the SLOW START. Let’s begin the year with presence, not pressure. January 1 isn’t about doing more; it’s about being more aligned, embodying who we really are. Breathe deeply, reflect, and start with ease. Spend the first day of the new year in stillness. Honor the moment.

To Blooming and Becoming in 2025!

Amanda and the Horaios Wellness Team