Eat: How do you care for your eating habits during the holidays? If you respond to this question with thoughtfulness, you will be consciously eating better already. Consciousness and awareness of what you are feeding yourself is how you do it. When you eat rich and tasty treats, be conscious of how much you enjoy it. Stay aware of what you are taking in and make conscious choices. There is no diet formula right for everyone...you must come up with your own unique plan. Something that has often been helpful for the sweet lover in me is to limit the number of days each week I indulge. Allows me to fully enjoy what I have, and not overdue it.

Sleep: As the days get shorter and more darkness sets in, the parties and events get more plentiful. When you should be increasing your sleep hours through nature's call, you are often extending yourself more than usual. Don't resist nature's call for warm and inward times. Build it into your schedule, and set goals for how much sleep to get each night.

Move: In today's world, we move so much less than our bodies were designed to move. The evidence of this surrounds us as we watch obesity figures rise. It is not important what form it takes (walk, dance, have sex, etc.). Caring for you body involves finding a pleasurable way to consistently keep moving in your life.

The relationship between the mind and the body has been well documented. The relationship between the mind and how your life plays out is yet another area to explore and make discoveries. Your thoughts are directly connected to your energy and and enjoyment during the holidays.

What are your thoughts about the approaching holidays? Observe what you are saying to yourself and others. Are you welcoming the holidays, resisting or dreading them, or is there an excited anticipation? What makes it feel that way? This is an exercise of observation only. Once you understand what is present, then there is the opportunity to evaluate how it is working in your life.

What brings you joyful energy? Noticing the simple forms of pleasure (stringing lights, baking cookies, loving your friends, etc.) is a valuable way to support and honor you at this time of year. Identify and enhance those moments of pleasure and reduce the times that zap your energy. Then discover the thinking that goes with these activities. Joyful thoughts are within you always.

Why do you say yes when you really mean no? DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO DO THIS! Your body will let you know if you are true to yourself in responding to a request. The stomach and the chest are the areas of focus as you say either yes or no...the visceral feelings are your true guide to the truth of your yes and no. Pay attention to it.

How do you protect yourself from holiday forces of society? The subtle and not so subtle holiday marketing techniques can create pressure and stress to buy presents, eat rich foods, feel lonely because there is no family around for you, or feel resentful by the expectations of your family. A simple concept to explore is an energetic boundary between you and the rest of the world. Draw an imaginary bubble around your body and affirm that this space is unpenetrable by forces of the world in which do not serve how you should be living your life. This is your protective aura. It is your own intentional force that creates the reality of this aura...it is practicing these intuitive skills which allow this to be effective protection tool in your life.

Watch your thoughts, observe your activities and the energy and thought that corresponds, let your body guide your responses of yes and no, and protect the influences from the outside that do not honor who you are by setting an aura in place. These ideas do not take additional time...they involve mindfully focusing on making the most of your holidays and life.

Establish nourishing traditions: the holidays provide us with the opportunity for meaningful rituals which satisfy your soul. Lighting the menorah, putting up the Christmas tree, and baking cookies to share with friends/family are common ways you can create some meaning with the holidays. Rituals can be either very simple (lighting a candle) or very elaborate (preparing a dinner accompanied by prayer and sharing what we are grateful for). Human beings love to be able to enjoy the comfort of the familiar...year after year finding a comfortable familiarity doing something nourishing will enrich your holidays with joy.

Dream of the ideal holiday time: unless you create a vision of what you want, you will be reacting to what is present. What would the "best ever" holiday season look like for you? Get specific and enjoy the feeling in your body as you allow the ideas to form. Consider writing down the vision and reviewing it often, and sharing it with loved ones. The more you speak, write, listen to yourself talk of it...the more it becomes a reality.

Create a holiday purpose statement: we have heard of life purpose statements...where we want our lives to go. Why not a holiday purpose statement? Where do we want our holidays to go? After you visualize the ideal holiday...now take a few moments to create an affirmative statement consisting of three parts. Start with finding a metaphor for who you are, second is what you bring forward, and third is what that creates in the world.
Here is the format for the statement: I am ____________________who brings ____________ creating _________________ in the world.