December 5, 2014

Have yourself a Naughty Little Christmas.

0 Boost Score Natalie Griffin (1,510,185)

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Holidays mark times of transition in the calendar year.

These transitions between seasons and life-cycles were traditionally associated with magic and grateful celebration. Over the generations, things have changed and most of us are so busy planning and having the mandatory fun that we miss out on the magic and actual joy we could be having!

Here are five practical tips for keeping the magic and joy in the season.

1. Drink a lot.

I know you love to slog the nog and hit the bourbon. But for every non-water beverage you imbibe, drink four ounces of water. Think of it as a chaser—or four shots. And drink a lot of it.

Drinking water will help you manage bloating, dehydration, grumpiness and fatigue. Water aids in digestion, and when digestion isn’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. You are going to need a healthy body to handle steps two to five.

2. Make Love Often and With Many People.

Shamans are lovers. Period. Love is good lively energy and it’s a shame to be stingy with it. Start by making love to yourself. How can you make yourself feel loved? A good workout, a hot bath, staring-out-the-window-at the-amazing-forest-sitting-by-the-fire?

Now, go make love with a lot of other people. Make love to the guy checking out your groceries. A wink and a smile can shake up someone’s day in a super good way. Open doors for people like you are their date! You can even make love with your pets. Goof around with pets like they (and you) were puppies again!

When you make cookies for someone, realize that you are really making love—with chocolate chunks inside.

Make conversations filled with love and soup filled with love, feed your whole family love! Don’t have any love for your family right now? Then make love to yourself again and then see tip number three.

3. Drop a few “F” Bombs.

We don’t like repression at Naughty Shaman but we do believe in being responsible with your emotions.

When you get angry, don’t repress it! Just give yourself a minute to step into the bathroom or outside first so you don’t do any real damage.

Then get a stone, (I have one in my bra most of the time, don’t you?) Whisper, growl or yell all of things you wish you could say to your relative, to that stone. Go on. Get it out. Better out than in.

Repressed anger or guilt can turn your body against you, don’t let that happen. Get those heavy energies outside in the earth where it can just be energy again.

After the hot flush of emotion roars through you, reapply make up, take a deep breath and ask, “What is out of alignment for me about this situation?” “What do I need to see in this situation that will help me grow?”

Anger is great teacher if you can take the focus away from the other person and get thinking about your growth. But get out the rage before you think. Thinking while all hopped up on suppressed rage is as useful as driving fast while blindfolded.

Rage. Release. Think. Act.

In that order, never mix it up and you’ll be fine. Then lavishly make love to everyone starting with yourself. (See tip number two).

4. Spend More. Who doesn’t like to spend? Spending makes us feel powerful—masters of our domain—creators of our world! When spending, think not only about money but time, energy and emotion.

Face it, we buy stuff for each other and stuff doesn’t create happiness. (Unless it’s bourbon). So save your credit cards the strife and go for kitchy/lovey little numbers like cookies packed in awesome boxes with love notes or my personal go to this year—homemade loose-leaf tea in ball jars—with love notes.

Love notes. Write alot of them. (See tip # two). Say the things you wish “The Perfect Gift” would say to your loved ones. Spend time. Spend love. Keep the bank notes and spend the love notes. Spend ’em like a lottery winner from Jersey. And remember to write one for yourself.

5. Get Naked.

The trees have it right this time of year. They let the old dead leaves of the year fall to the ground where they are buried in snow and turned into fertile soil for spring.

Let’s take a pulpy page from that book. Drop what no longer has life for you. It’s okay to let go and get in the buff. Those old experiences, expectations, dreams, memories and lessons will be great fertilizer for whatever you want to create in the spring.

Use this time to get naked and get under the deep blankets of winter to reflect, replenish and rejuvenate. I prefer to do this under a down comforter with the fire going or in my office staring out the window with fuzzy slippered feet propped up on my desk.

Winter historically and naturally, is a time for long nights of rest, reflection and little pops of sparkling light returning to inspire the future. Get naked, drop into the season, maybe under a blanket, and let life & light unfold at it’s own pace.

You have permission to get a little naughty this holiday season. In fact, if you do, you will have fewer burdens to carry into the new year and will enjoy what is coming for you even more!

Merry ChristmaKwanzUka & Happy Winter Solistice!