Oh, December... the month of magic, of hustle and bustle, of working our butts off to take much-needed time off with our families and friends, or to ourselves. But is this really the energy of winter?
The energy of winter is actually one of introspection. It's a time to tune into your intuition and feel into what your body truly needs. It's a time to slow down, to rest, to regenerate and a time for self-care. Now if you're reading this and saying something along the lines of... "ya right, must be nice for those who can actually do that." Hear me out, because I feel you.
The truth is, if we don't set aside time for ourselves to rest, our bodies will do it for us. It's so easy to get caught up in the noise, in the chaos, in the, "once I finish this, then I'll rest." But we all know that once that lie begins, it can snowball... and before you know it, months have gone by before you've chosen to put yourself first. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about, as I'm currently writing to you from cozies on my sofa, after having to cancel not only one but now two days of scheduled work, just days before I close for the holidays. Why? Because I didn't take the time when my body most needed it. I pushed on, ignoring the signals of needing to rest because "It's busy season, I'll rest after." I knew better with every fibre of my being, but I fell into the human pattern of just doing what needed to be done regardless of what I actually needed.
What I realized is that this is all too common and something I needed to lean into to lead by example. Of course, I would tell any one of my clients to take the time for themselves, as much time as they needed, regardless of any inconvenience they feared it would cause to others. I would say, "You need to choose you. You need to choose what is best for you before your body chooses for you and you end up unwell." But I also realized that we're all human. We can all KNOW the things, but implementing them is where the real work and magic happens. We can know what needs to be done, and we can say what needs to be done, but we need to act on and actually live what needs to be done for change to take place and the magic to happen. I'm listening to my body now. I am taking the steps shown to honour my body, mind and spirit regardless of what an old version of me or society says I "should" be doing.
I'm telling you this story because the energy of winter is very much just beginning. As beautiful as it is to see everyone and do everything before and during the holidays, please make sure that you're also very much putting your own needs first. Trust your body and your intuition. Feel into your emotions, allow yourself to be held and most importantly make time for rest and honour your truth. As hard as it may be, the last thing you want is forced rest by illness, burnout or complete exhaustion. Your intuition and body truly know what is best for you. If you're being called to rest, to slow, or to full stop, are you going to listen? Or are you going to ignore it and have your body choose for you in a way you may not like very much? I don't pose this question for you to cause fear, but to invite you back into your full power. You always have the choice and you always have access to the Divine wisdom within you.
Here's a small list of winter self-care items that may spark some inspiration in you to take some time for yourself:
Focus on gratitude
Do a 5-10 minute meditation
Spend a day social media free
Read just for fun - not to learn
Cook your favourite healthy recipe
Stretch for 10-15 minutes
Listen to your favourite uplifting song
Allow yourself to be held, wrapped in your favourite blanket
Take a long shower or a candlelit bath
Take a nap
Go to bed 30 minutes early
Journal your intuitive thoughts
Do a journal "brain dump"
Do a hair or face mask
Call someone you love
Watch a funny or uplifting movie
Dance to a fun Christmas song
The full moon coming up on December 27th is in the astrological sign of Cancer. This is a water sign and beautifully coincides with the water elemental energy of winter - emotions, intuition and feeling deeply. The truth it brings forward is that no amount of pushing and hard work will give you your desired outcome if your emotional foundation isn't stable. It brings time for reflection, checking in with your emotions, and enhanced energy around those emotions. Therefore, trying to ignore them is going to become difficult. It's best to give yourself the time and space to feel, to acknowledge and to let them move through.
Much love,
Becky xx
If you're looking to dive deeper into lunar energy, seasonal/elemental energy, menstrual phase energy, or are looking for the perfect gift to give that someone in your life who is, you can grab a copy of my guided journal Move with the Moon spiral-bound or softcover from the amazon links below.
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