December 2003
in this issue

• Isn't going "Home" for the Holidays supposed to be wonderful?
• Reducing Stress and Maintaining Balance
• Meditations for Letting Go and Going Deep
• 3 Tips for Staying Healthy During the Holidays
• Discover How to Create a Powerful 2004

Happy Holidays. I wish you a joyous and restful holiday season. And I emphasize restful. In this month's newsletter, you will find articles about reducing your stress and increasing your joy, and staying healthy.

I invite you to look to our model, "Five Elements for Living," to offer insight into this both festive and challenging time of year. For those of you who find this information valuable, please forward this gift to a friend. I wish you many blessings.

Isn't going "Home" for the Holidays supposed to be wonderful?

So there you are, sitting at the "adult" table, feeling just like you did when you were ten years old. Going home for the holidays is a joyful experience for some, but for many of us, it can be stressful, uncomfortable, and anything but wonderful. What emotions does going "home" bring up for you?

Many of us have a desire to feel deeply connected with our family, and yet after the initial thrill of reuniting, you may find yourself feeling as if you are sitting in a room full of strangers. You may notice that your access to your own wisdom disappears, and find yourself returning to old worn out ways of coping. For how long will we repeat these old patterns, before we finally turn inward and drop into the home and wisdom that sits in the center of our souls?

I invite you to look at our model, Five Elements for Living ™ to find both acceptance of where you are now and hope for the experience you desire to have.

We are now transitioning between Fall and Winter. In our model, Five Elements for Living™, this time of the year is about both completion and turning inward. It is this transition between fall and winter when the trees shed last their leaves and go into dormancy. This is nature's brilliant way of not only conserving energy during the harsh winter months, but of bringing the energetic focus into the deepest roots. We would be wise to follow nature's model.  

Fall is related to the Metal Element and is about Letting Go. Winter is related to the Water Element and is about going inward to find our own wisdom. This is the perfect time of the year to complete anything in your life that needs completion. It might mean finishing a project that you have been working on for months. It might mean having a conversation with someone you have held a grudge with for years. This work is essential to your soul, because it is the very act of completing and letting go, that allows you clear out the space to turn inward, rest, and find your own wisdom this winter. It is like clearing dead leaves from your drainpipe so the water can flow through.   

So, in the midst of the buying presents and preparing for the holidays, I invite you to look at what it is you need to let go of and complete. And my wish for you is that wherever you find yourself this holiday, whether it is sitting at the "adult" table or somewhere else, that you come home to yourself: to a place of beauty, radiance and peace.  

To support you in your journey, I invite you to do the following exercises:

Ask yourself: What are the dead leaves that are clogging my drainpipe?

Now, write down at least ten things in your life that it would give you tremendous freedom to either let go of or complete. Choose three things, circle them, and commit to completing them before you leave for the holidays. Allow them to be challenging and even exciting, but not impossible.  

Next, consider what form of water you feel like in this moment. Are you like a freely flowing river, a stagnant pond, a 20-foot waterfall, or a frozen lake? Write down whatever comes to you. Now, consider this question:  

What form of water do you intend to be like this holiday season?

Feel free to share what you discover

Reducing Stress and Maintaining Balance

You have to go shopping, your kids are sick, your friends and family are coming to town, you've got to get that new floor installed and clean the house, your employees are calling in sick, and you forgot your appointment today... sound familiar? During the Holidays, it is so easy to fall into the trap of having to get it all done and doing it all perfectly. . However, if you pay close attention, your body may be telling you to slow down, and take care of yourself. In ancient times, the shorter days served as a demand to rest more. In our modern times, however, we fight this desire and push ourselves beyond our limits.

I encourage you to stop and take a breath right now.

Focus your attention on your belly, just for a moment. Notice what you hear, see, and smell.   And keep breathing. That's all there is to it.  

As an experiment, try the above exercise five times each day for the next three days. In the next three days or sooner, you will notice that your stress has been significantly reduced.  

Meditations for Letting Go and Going Deep

Did you know that every point of every acupuncture meridian has a special quality associated with it? Each has it's own distinct personality or Spirit that can contribute to your life. As an exercise, meditate on the points named, "Meridian Gutter," "Bubbling Spring," and "Returning Current."

First read the descriptions of each point. Then, sit quietly with the names of each point and I invite you to discover what these metaphors mean for you.  

Meridian Gutter is a point on the Lung meridian (Metal Element). It helps to clear out old debris, allowing a fresh perspective

Bubbling Spring is the first point on the Kidney meridian (Water Element). This point is where our feet come into contact with the earth. A bubbling spring refreshes, vitalizes, and cleanses.  

Returning Current is a point on the Kidney meridian (Water Element) that serves as the transition between the Metal and Water Elements. It helps to allow the wisdom to flow freely once the letting go has occurred.

Let us know what you discover

3 Tips for Staying Healthy During the Holidays

It is the season of colds, flues, aches and pains. There are a few things you can do to stay warm, healthy and feel vitality.

1. Rest. You know this and yet our culture keeps us so busy we forget to take care of ourselves during the Holidays. Just as the trees are lying dormant right now, give yourself the permission to rest more and sleep more than that voice in your head will allow you to. You know that voice that says, "Hurry up, gotta go, gotta do, time is running out..." What is your version?
2. Eat warming foods. This is how you can warm yourself from the inside out. Warming foods such as soups and curries are great for your body this time of year. You can add spices such as cinnamon, fennel, and galangal to your favorite recipes to give them a warming quality.
3. Avoid cold foods. According to the theory of Chinese Medicine, it is best to counterbalance the cold nature of winter weather with warming foods and to avoid raw or cold foods. It is hard on the digestion and makes your organs work very hard, using your body's energy to do the work. Imagine what you could do with that energy! Rather than having your body dictate what it will use your energy for, what would you use this precious energy for?

Discover How to Create a Powerful 2004

Would you like to find the access to having the most amazing year yet?

On January 11th, 2004, we will be facilitating our popular workshop, "Fire in the Heart." We promise you that you will walk away so inspired by who you are, you'll be creating more than New Year's resolutions. You will be creating the access to a joyous rest of your Life!