The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Christmas and New Year are traditionally times of reflection and contemplation. As I get ready to close the doors on my business for another year and turn my attention fully to celebrating Christmas, I’ve been reflecting on the different gifts I both give and receive, during this festive season and throughout the whole year.
Reiki and mindfulness particularly are gifts I first received for myself. They helped me to conquer my chronic insomnia and find calm and balance when dealing with life’s challenges. I now have the privilege to share these gifts with others, but they still form the foundations of my own selfcare support plan.
Reiki practitioners are often referred to as having ‘the gift’ but in truth we all have it within us to channel the healing power of reiki. We just need to be shown how and trust in our own abilities. I believe reiki itself is the true gift and we are just the channel through which it flows to the person who needs it.
Over the past few years, I have seen reiki give the gift of sleep to the exhausted, the gift of energy and hope to those facing a diagnosis of cancer and impending treatment, the gift of at least temporary relief to those suffering with chronic pain conditions and the gift of inner peace to those feeling out of control and out of balance. Reiki gives freely and abundantly, without you having to say out loud, or even fully understand, what it is you need to receive. How cool is that?
Unlike a head massage, reiki is also the gift I can give myself without needing to call on the services of anyone else. It has also given me the gift of freedom. Freedom to run my own business, the freedom to work the hours I want and with people I want to work and serve.
Mindfulness was the gift that came further down the line to me, but its impact has been no less important in my life. Mindfulness is a gift I can give myself several times a day if necessary and which can be offered anywhere and at anytime. I do feel however, that it really comes into its own this time of year.
Even if you love everything about Christmas and get just as excited as the children for this time of year, it can have its pressures and challenges. Having mindfulness firmly by my side means I can navigate it all, highs and lows, with calm and a sense of control.
I love my two daughters and three step-sons dearly and they all still seem to be more than happy to come home for Christmas even though they are all young adults, some with their own homes now. My husband and I are also lucky enough to still have both of our parents and they will be joining us for Christmas Day this year, as well as my sister.
It will be lovely, lively and noisy but anyone who has ever had to cook a three course meal for twelve people will know how stressful that can be.
Due to my visual impairment, I also find it a challenge to navigate around my own home, which is usually my ‘safe space’ when there are that many other bodies taking up space. This too can ramp up my anxiety levels as I try not to knock someone’s glass over or stand on their foot – even though they are all very used to it! Even my own family can forget I can’t see something or that they need to leave room for me to get past easily.
It is particularly at these most stressful, if enjoyable, times that I am pleased to have my mindfulness exercises to call upon. I know that at some point over Christmas I will be:
Focussing my attention on my own breath whilst the chatter carries on around me to find a moment of inner peace and calm amongst the chaos.
Bringing a snatch of present moment awareness into play as I try to really appreciate what it is to have everyone I truly love in one room – so I can hold onto this moment into my heart for a lifetime.
Doing a quick body scan and focussing on the contact my feet are making with the solid ground beneath me as I sit on the loo having escaped to this quiet sanctuary to ground myself and have three minutes of breathing space when it all gets too much.
Knowing that I have these tools at my disposition, ready to jump into action whenever I need them, truly is the gift that keeps on giving!
If you’d like to offer yourself this most precious of gifts too then I highly recommend:
Checking out the ‘12 Days Of Festive Mindfulness’ in my Facebook group.
Downloading one of the mindfulness bundles from my web shop as a little gift to yourself!
Booking a one to one reiki or mindfulness session with me for the New Year and give me the gift of teaching you how to weave these most nourishing and sustaining of gifts into your life and wellbeing for the long term.
My wish to you this Christmas is that you give and receive freely and abundantly and that includes gifting to yourself!