#91: The Gift of the Present: How to Honor Your Light This Season

Instead of burning out this holiday season, keep your light shining even amidst the chaos that might seem to surround you. 

It's the season of rush, rush, rush. And because it is, easy to get overwhelmed with worries of getting all the things done--gifts for everyone on your list, coordinating schedules to celebrate Christmas, attending gatherings, and of course, doing the things you want to do just for fun in the spirit of the season. In this episode, I'll tell you:

1. How you can offer up the gift of the present this season
2. What it means to connect with your own light
3. How to protect your light from being burnt out by the New Year

Resources:
Register for the Winter Solstice Candlelight Yoga Celebration of Rhythms here

Check out the Winter Recharge: A Virtual Pampering Week During the Holidays here*
*This is an affiliate link so if you end up purchasing the VIP package, I do receive a portion of that purchase back.

Other Resources:
How We Feel App (Android)
How We Feel App (iPhone)

Stop cycling between burnout and recovery - grab your Daily Rhythms Tracker to get started.

Grab the full show notes and resources at www.cairnyogawellness.com/podcast91 and subscribe and listen wherever you catch your podcasts: 

🎧Apple Podcasts>>>> https://apple.co/2ydvvBw
🎧Google Podcast>>>>> https://bit.ly/3a4xCF2
🎧iHeartRadio>>>>> https://ihr.fm/2XCtEAT
🎧Spotify>>>>> https://spoti.fi/3ci253V
🎧 Amazon Music>>>>> https://amzn.to/3pAupHh
🎧 Pandora>>>>> https://bit.ly/hhhcathypandora

More Episodes Like This One:
#87: Finding Harmony in Life's Unexpected Challenges
#72: Stop Overwhelm: The 1 Thing Your To-do List is Missing
#71: Trying Harder Isn't Always the Way to Find Your Edge

Join the Energetic Rhythms for Intentional Living community here.

Follow us:
Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

Rate or review this podcast on Apple Podcasts here.

Transcript

Cathy: 0:00

It's a season of rush, rush, rush. And because it is, it's easy to get overwhelmed with worries of getting all the things done. Gifts for everyone on your list, coordinating schedules to celebrate Christmas attending gatherings. And of course doing the things you want to do just for fun in the spirit of the season. In this episode, I'll tell you how you can offer up the gift of the present this season. What it means to connect with your own light and how to protect your light from being burnt out by the new year.

@Cathy: 1:31

Hey friends., Welcome to episode 91. And thank you for being here today. I want to talk about slowing down in this season of rushing. The season when we are reflecting on the past year, preparing and looking ahead. The season when we often place more of an emphasis on outward expressions than inward witnessing. When we witness or observe. We are present, not thinking of the past, nor worrying about the unknown. But being present is a mindfulness practice that we learned through things like yoga, breath, work, meditation, prayer. And it has to do with reflecting inward and rediscovering or reconnecting with the light within. Now I believe that we all have a light that was given to us by the one true light. And our light is a reflection of that true light of the season.

Cathy: 2:27

The reason we celebrate Christmas, God's love for us through Jesus Christ. The light of the world that came to bring us out of darkness, also shines in each one of us. And we have the ability to share that light with the world. Which is a pretty cool thing, in my opinion. I like to think of your light as kind of like the spirit you bring into this world. When you share it with others, it feels easy and light and it looks like love. For some, that light might be shining brightly both inside and out. But for others. It may be a little bit dim. A dim light maybe obvious on the outside. Or it might be hidden away, covered by a bright facade. If your light is shining brightly inside and out this year. How can you extend your light to help someone else's grow brighter? Even just for a moment. You see, when we do this, This amazing thing happens. When we intentionally give our light away. We don't have to fear running out of it because quite the opposite happens. Our own light actually continues to grow maybe even brighter than before. And we've helped someone else's light shine. When we use the gift we are given to help others, it's given back to us even more. But it can also be easy to get swept away in all the to-dos and let the fullness and busy-ness of the season dampen our light. Especially after everything is said and done, after all the guests have gone home, all the parties are over the presents have been given and you're left a moment of quiet to recover. This is when, if you're not mindful during the rush of the season, you're light can burnout and you can feel that sense of burnout. So, how do you ensure you enter the new year, which is a new cycle of life feeling that light still burn instead of feeling burnt out? Well, if you've been around here, You have to know that this one's coming. The first thing you need to do is listen to your inner guidance during the midst of the busy-ness and chaos, and make a plan ahead of time to nurture that guidance and recharge your batteries. And I know what you might be thinking. That sounds kind of counterintuitive.... listen to what your body is calling for before it's actually calling for it? Yes. Yes. My friends. You have plenty of data in your mind bank of how this season has gone for you in the past and enough vision to imagine how you actually want it to go. So this is your permission to bring these two elements together and actually take action on making that vision a reality if it hasn't been or continue to enrich it if you already have made progress towards it. You know what recharges and restores you. So you can plan for that instead of waiting until everything's over. During stressful times, you need to reconnect with your light often in order to honor yourself and others, and when you are a busy person and have a lot going on in your life, kind of like you probably are if you're listening to this show, you have to make a plan for those times when you know you're going to need more nurturing. I just had this conversation with my son this morning about something else. And I reflected how. When I know I'm coming into a stressful season. Like this season. I know that I have to plan extra pockets of nurturing. In for myself. So I don't feel so anxious, so I don't feel so worried. And I don't. Um, get so irritable. And same thing for him. He has to make a plan for these things or the situation that we were talking about. So he knows how to nurture himself. And so that's what I'm telling to you guys. And honestly, I've got two things that can help you do this, this December. If you're local. I'm offering a winter solstice, candlelight yoga celebration of rhythms class on Thursday, December 21st. And it's at one of our local greenhouses. So we can be in a heated outdoor space. Practicing yoga on the shortest daylight day in the year, which is pretty cool. I'll drop the link to that in the show notes. If you're interested, I would love to have you. And the second thing is whether you're local or not, you can take part in a virtual, intentional winter recharge that week between Christmas and new years. I'm going to be a part of this as a presenter. Um, but this is a special week dedicated to self care and relaxation for moms. So it's just for you people out there who feel like you have a ton going on in your life and need time to chill. Even if you're not a mom, this would actually benefit you because I have looked at the lineup of what the other presenters are going to be offering up. And it is very cool. There are some really neat things and neat ways that you can help yourself slow down and recharge your own batteries this season. During this week, you can indulge in sessions, designed to rejuvenate and empower. You can claim your free spot and celebrate being a mom and making it through another year. Quite honestly, right? Uh, winter recharge is filled with prerecorded videos and free goodies from a variety of presenters, like I said, myself included. To help you plan nurturing into a time of year that wraps up a typically pretty stressful seasoned. And all of the videos and goodies are available December 26th through the 29th, you can sign up now, but the videos go live during that week and they're available for free during that week. But if you purchase the VIP pass at a deeply discounted rate, when you first register, you have access to those videos for life. So you don't have to feel like you have to get through them all in. Um, just in that short week, you have a little bit more time. Will you have your lifetime to get through them? And, uh, and they're pretty cool. Some of them you might want to refer back to. So if you'd like to register or just see what the presentations will be, that are part of that week long event, I've put a link in the show notes for you. All right back to how to keep your light from burning out before the new year. The second way of keeping your light from burning out before the new year. Is to surround yourself with community, even if you're an introvert. You want to surround yourself with community that doesn't burn you out, but instead lights you up. These are the people you can be your own authentic self with and who reciprocate the light you have to give. It might just be close family or one other friend, or it might be attending a class, kind of like the candlelight yoga with like-minded people or people you want to think like, just so that you can experience their energy. Science tells us that we thrive in community rather than isolation. So even if that community is just one or two other people, find those people in your life and fill each other up. And finally the third part of ensuring that you are not burnt out going into the new year. And that you nurture yourself this busy holiday season. Is, um, Is to remember that when you do these things, whether it's making a plan or surrounding yourself with community that you have to allow the time you take to actually recharge or rekindle your light to create a calm presence, amidst the chaos so that you can be fully present for whatever may lie in front of you. This means you have to slow down and actually take in what you're doing instead of just rushing through it. And by doing so the gift of your presence or present moment awareness reflects the true light within you. It communicates the importance of your light, not only to your inner self, who by the way, needs to know that you. see it and want to connect with it. But it. also shares the light of the world with others by reflecting love when you slow down and give your presence. To bring calm to the chaos of the season. The key is to honor the light, the light of this world, which is reflected into you from the one true light Jesus Christ. Your light is a gift and it needs to be seen by the world, but it can easily burn out if you don't take care of it. And that's really easy to do, especially in this busy season. So set expectations aside. Give the gift of the present this year, first to yourself, so that you know with your whole self, that it's okay to actually slow down and be present for others too. Your nervous system will much better be able to handle the busy-ness if you first communicate to it that it's okay to be present for yourself to listen to your inner guidance. And when something feels heavy to perhaps let it go, instead of forcing it. So the three things that I suggest to keep you from burning out before the new year are to one, listen to your inner guidance and make a plan to nurture and recharge it. And two surround yourself with community that lets you be your authentic self. And finally three, allow your intentional efforts to bring you to presence. A place where you're not worried about the past or what you could've done differently or overthinking the future or what's to come. The presence you create with yourself will allow your light to shine, even brighter, giving peace and joy to those around you. And that my friends is creating a sense of calm, amidst the rhythm of chaos. Truly honoring the Peace that this season is supposed to be all about. If you know of someone out there who needs to hear this message who needs to know that their light matters, that they need to keep shining brightly, But that they can only do that if they take care of themselves pass this episode on to them and see what might happen when you do. I'm Cathy Struecker and you've been listening to health, harmony, and happiness with Cathy cheers to cultivating your own version of health, harmony, and happiness some way every day in your life.